


The Ocean In Her Blood

by kittenofdoomage



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Mermaids, Smut, merfolk, merman!Dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 13:22:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 26,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22881847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittenofdoomage/pseuds/kittenofdoomage
Summary: She spent her whole life avoiding the ocean and now she's about to find out why.
Relationships: Dean Winchester/Reader, Sam Winchester/Jessica Moore
Comments: 55
Kudos: 156
Collections: Supernatural - Dean Winchester





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If this fic seems familiar, it's because it's actually an old fic that was purged on Tumblr, so I took it down here too and rewrote it with about 10,000 words of extra content. I hope it's as well-received as the original was! Thanks for reading xx

The sun was setting over the bay, painting the sky with purples and reds that transfixed her gaze. She listened to the gulls in the distance, seeking out scraps left over from holidaymakers, muffled by the sound of laughter from her friends around the campfire.

Well, she thought they might be friends. The only one of the group that she knew well was Kevin, her friend from work, and he’d practically begged her to come with them on this day trip to the beach. His crush, Jem, was here, and Y/N only agreed because he’d suggested she might like Jem’s friend Mike. Mike was certainly nice to look at, but he was a jock and a bit of a jerk. He was far too handsy, and seemed unable to take anything seriously.

"I wanna go for a swim," Jem announced, grinning over at Y/N. "You up for it, Y/N?"

Kevin jumped in before she could say anything in response. "Y/N doesn’t swim. She doesn’t like water.”

She shrank down as the other three adults stared at her. "How do you shower?" Mike yapped, laughing at his own bad joke; Y/N rolled her eyes without him noticing, before giving him a tight smile.

"I’m not  _ afraid _ of water. I just never learnt to swim, and I don’t really like open water." Ever since she was little, her dad had discouraged the idea of beach holidays, preferring inland where his paranoia of open water couldn’t ruin the break. They didn’t even live near this patch of coast - Y/N and Kevin had driven down to Brightrock for the day with Jem and Mike, from the town twenty miles inland. Her dad didn’t even know she was here, and he’d probably flip if he did know.

"That’s silly," Jem dismissed, and Y/N frowned, a little insulted by the dismissal of her feelings. Standing up, she excused herself from the campfire, overhearing Kevin tell Jem and Mike that she had a phobia, and her dad had the same thing. Mike made some joke about Jaws; Y/N scowled as she walked away towards the small pier a few yards away, her eyes still on the sun disappearing in the distance. The water sparkled and she stopped, admiring the view.

She wasn’t afraid of the water. Not really. She was just afraid of what could happen.

When she was little, too little to really remember, her mother had died out on the ocean. She’d been on a boating trip with friends when something had gone wrong, a crash or a grounding - her father never gave her the details. The ocean had taken her mother from her and somehow Y/N couldn’t ever get past that.

A sigh escaped her lips as she walked to the end of the pier, looking down at the sparkling water. It was dark, too dark to see beyond the surface and she shivered, feeling the night chill setting into her skin.

"Hey." Mike’s voice made her turn and she offered up a weak smile at his approach. He moved to stand next to her, grinning widely. "It’s pretty awesome out here," he commented, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Kevin said that something happened when you were a kid, and that’s why you don’t like the ocean."

"Yeah," Y/N confirmed, hugging herself tightly. She wanted to scold Kevin for divulging that information when she’d decided to drop the subject.

"Sorry." 

His reply surprised her; maybe he wasn’t so much of a dick. He edged closer to her, the sun giving his eyes sparkle as they reflected the waning light. "You know, I could take you out. For a swim that is. I’m pretty good, and I’d keep you safe."

Was he really suggesting a swim?

"Maybe another time," she mumbled with a tight smile. "It’s pretty dark and getting cold now."

"Water’s not cold," Mike argued, looking over at the black depths. "Currents around here keep it warm. That’s why it’s an ideal spot." He reached out, taking her hand in his larger one, forcing her to drop her arms. "Come on, we’ll go down to the shallows and I’ll show you."

"I really don’t want to," Y/N insisted, trying to pull her hand from his grip, but he held fast.

"Come on, Y/N,” he laughed, acting like it was a joke. “Look, we won’t go too deep. I promise you’ll like it."

She yanked at his hand, willing him to let go but he was significantly stronger. "No, Mike, I don’t want to!" Her voice was becoming shrill; she pulled harder but Mike only tightened his grip, pulling her forward before suddenly letting go. Y/N shrieked as she gained her freedom and lost her balance, tripping backward.

Everything moved in slow motion as she stumbled, her foot slipping over the edge of the pier. Too late, Mike realized she was falling but his hands grabbed at thin air as she fell the few feet into the water. There was a loud splash as she breached the surface, and everything went dark.

Her name was a dull sound in the water. She panicked almost immediately, her legs going numb as her lungs filled. Kicking for the surface, she felt weaker by the second, like a weight was dragging her down.

The water wasn’t cold - it would have been pleasant if she wasn’t panicking about drowning. A secondary splash came to her attention as she surged upwards, arms flailing for support as she gasped for air.

"Y/N!" Mike’s voice, accompanied by more splashing. 

He’d jumped in. What a hero. 

"I’m really sorry!" He swam closer, reaching out for her but she wasn’t really listening, too worried about the increasing numbness in her abdomen and legs. "Are you okay?"

His hand reached out but she slapped it away. "I’m fine," she spat, anger lighting her features. The numbness turned to tingling.

Mike didn’t appear to have noticed her discomfort. "At least you’re in the water. They say the best way to confront your fears is to jump in!"

"You’re not funny, Mike,” Y/N seethed. “I could have drowned." She looked around, her arms waving at her sides almost naturally, keeping her afloat. His grin widened when he noticed how easily she held herself.

"You’re a natural," he complimented, swimming closer. Dizziness and nausea made her attempt to kick her legs and move backward but Mike just seemed to get closer. "It’s probably gonna be more comfortable if we take our clothes off and throw them up there," he suggested, snaking one hand through the water to tug at her shirt.

Snatching out of his grip, Y/N practically snarled at him. "Get lost."

He didn’t take the hint. Apparently taking instruction wasn’t one of his strengths. "Come on, Y/N. Stop being such a spoilsport." She pushed at him when he crowded her, growing increasingly distraught.

Something in the water suddenly collided with him, sending the large jock up and out of the water. He landed at least six feet away, narrowly missing the edge of the pier. A splash followed the impact, and Mike shrieked when he saw a nondescript fin in the waves.

“Shark! Shark!” he squealed, clumsily attempting to swim away toward the beach.

Y/N blinked and looked around. “There aren’t any sharks in Brightrock,” she mumbled.

Maybe it was a dolphin.

As Mike scrambled for the shore, pain seized Y/N’s lower half; she sank like a stone, her body twisting in the water. She gasped, swallowing more of the liquid down, unbelievable agony searing her veins.

This was it. She was drowning. She was going to die.

The pain started to fade. Breathing easily, Y/N clutched her throat when she felt the odd sensation of water passing through her lungs, opening her eyes as confusion and bewilderment took the place of the fear she’d felt second before.

“What?” she whispered, eyes wide at her surroundings.

She could see  _ everything _ .

From Mike’s fading splashes to the large school of fish at least a hundred meters away, it was like underneath the water had come alive. She’d never seen anything so clearly, so literally  _ alive _ with light. Not even Blue Planet in high definition had provided the level of clarity she was currently experiencing and it certainly didn’t provide mermaids.

Mermen?

Either way, Y/N wasn’t sure how to proceed the exceedingly hot guy swimming toward her, bare chested with only a leather strap around his waist, one side holding what looked like a blade, the other a large satchel-like pouch. His eyes were brilliant green, the same shade as the tail that propelled him through the water…

Tail.

She looked down, shoving her t-shirt out of the way where it had floated up. Below her, dangling at least another five feet into the water from her bellybutton, was a long red-and-golden scaled tail, beneath the skirt still clinging to her waist.

Panic returned full force and she screamed. “Holy shit!”

He was glad summer season in Brightrock was nearly over. 

This one had been hot and busy, leading to increased patrols and more concerns that the ever-inquisitive humans would stumble on the other citizens of their waters. Most of the time, they only had to turn back a few boats, the odd teenagers looking for fun - this summer, there’d been groups of people nearly every night.

Dean was exhausted.

Tonight was the quietest night in a week. He’d had to deal with a dolphin caught in a net and there were a few campfires on the beach that he was keeping an eye on.

He noticed the girl walk along the pier first, followed closely by one of the males; Dean drew a little closer, keeping himself barely visible. When they started to talk, he figured they’d just make out and that would be the end of it.

Then the guy had started to struggle with the girl, who clearly didn’t want to do whatever he wanted. She lost her footing and fell, and Dean was on alert, just in case she couldn’t swim. The guy jumped in after her, apparently about to save her, so Dean didn’t do anything.

Until the jock started to grab for her, something that she didn’t welcome.

As the large male moved in toward her, Dean dived down, turning in a large circle before propelling himself toward them, grabbing the kid by the waist and hoisting him through the water to land several feet away with a splash. Twisting awkwardly, Dean disappeared underneath the surface, painfully aware that he had revealed himself more than he should have.

“Shark! Shark!” his victim screamed, flailing in the water like a baby seal.

Dean smirked. Served him right.

The girl was still in the water. Turning his head, he frowned when she dropped under the surface, her eyes closed and arms around her belly as if she was in pain. Dean hesitated, swimming closer, watching as magic he’d lived through hundreds of times took hold, presumably for the first time.

He stopped a few meters away, unable to take his eyes off of her. Her tail was unlike any he’d ever seen, a beautiful deep coral red with flecks of gold and silver running through it. She swished it through the water, her eyes slowly opening as she came to her senses.

For the first few seconds, he wasn’t even on her radar.

She looked around, finally realizing she wasn’t alone, blinking at him with a mixture of curiosity and fear. Dean drew closer, keeping his movements slow. Her gaze dragged over him, stopping on his tail; she dropped her chin into her chest, using her hands to tame her unruly t-shirt in the current.

“Holy shit!” she screamed, backing up as if she could get away from the large appendage that had replaced her legs.

“Whoa, whoa!” Dean rushed toward her as she started to hyperventilate, literally blowing bubbles with the remainder of the air in her lungs. He gripped her wrists when she struck out in a panic, stopping her from punching him accidentally and making her focus on him. “You’re okay.”

“You’re talking,” she whispered, wide-eyed as she stared at him.

Smirking, Dean nodded. “Yeah. You’re talking too.”

“We’re underwater.”

“You’re really astute,” he commented, earning himself a dirty look.

“This isn’t possible.”

“It’s happening, so…” Dean shrugged, trying not to laugh. “Look, let’s start simple. I’m Dean.”

She focused her gaze on him again, nodding a little. “Y/N.”


	2. Chapter 2

Mermaids were real.

And, apparently, she was one.

It was difficult to wrap her head around.

They hadn’t ventured too far from the pier, knowing her friends would come looking eventually, especially if Mike went running back with his cries of ‘_shark_’. Dean made it clear he didn’t like the guy and Y/N wasn’t exactly warming to him anymore.

In the shadows of the rocks at the far end of the beach, Dean showed her how to control her tail. “How the hell can I be a mermaid?” she asked, looking to him for an answer. He shrugged, which wasn’t helpful. “I was born in Jersey. I live in Talbot. With my dad. My _really _human dad.” She shook her head, frowning when her hair kept flowing freely in the water.

Dean smirked as the new sensations kept catching her out. “Sometimes we’re born on land,” he said. “It’s happened before.”

Y/N swallowed, still struggling to come to grips with the water in her throat. The inappropriate voice in the back of her head offered up an explanation for her ridiculously good gag reflex and she tried not to giggle.

“What about your mother?”

His question sobered her instantly. “She died when I was little.”

“Maybe she was one.”

“I think my dad might have mentioned that,” she replied stiffly. “This doesn’t make sense.”

“Well, like it or not, princess,” Dean drawled, flicking his tail so he could move back and look down at her pretty scales, “you’ve got a tail. Pretty one too.” He winked and she poked out her tongue.

“Don’t flirt with me. We just met!”

Raising an eyebrow, he smirked. “That’s your concern?" 

Y/N scowled, tail moving through the water quickly as she turned without thinking. She squeaked, wobbling before regaining a floating position. “This is just weird.” Concentrated, the appendage moved again and she moved to the side, holding out her arms. “How can this…”

“It’s just like having legs,” he said, swimming around her like he was appraising her form.

“How would you know?”

“I have legs,” Dean defended. “We only have tails when we’re in our natural environment -” He held out his arms, gesturing to the darkening waters around them. “Right here.”

She nibbled on her bottom lip, pondering his words. “So I can still shower?”

Dean nodded. "We could live as human. We’re practically the same.” He was still swimming around her; she found herself admiring his tail, like he had hers. His scales were the color of the Mediterranean, blue and green mixing together, matching his stunning emerald eyes. Dean noticed her watching and paused for a moment. “Only thing is, if we don’t return to the sea often… you get sick.”

“So you have to come back?”

He shrugged. “I wouldn’t know how often. I never left the bay. No reason to.”

“You like it down here?” Y/N looked around, suddenly realizing how much life was around them. She could see everything, fish swimming, the currents… if she listened hard enough, she could hear the teens on the beach calling for her.

“It’s my home,” Dean replied, puzzled by her question. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Have you ever been to the surface?”

Laughing, he nodded. “I’ve been a few times.” He grinned, leaning in. “I like the burgers.” She giggled, despite herself. Dean smiled back, drifting closer. “Although if I’d known you were up there…”

“We only just met,” she repeated, but she wasn’t going to deny that he was certainly nice to look at. Opening her mouth, she went to speak again, only to be interrupted by the sound of her name being shouted, closer than it had been. "They’re looking for me.”

Dean looked up to the surface. “They’re by the rock pools.” He scowled. “That idiot I hit thinks there’s a shark in the water.” They listened closely, Y/N still bewildered by these newfound abilities.

Her eyes widened when someone shouted out to call the coastguard. “I have to go back!” she exclaimed, trying not to feel back when Dean appeared crestfallen. “I… I might be able to come and visit again though?” She didn’t even know why she was trying to placate him; her father was going to flip out when he found out where she was for the day.

“I’d like that,” he murmured, reaching out to take her hand. “I’ll show you where you can get out without being noticed. Just tell your friends a current dragged you and you climbed out. Come on.” He moved away, pulling her with him. For a second, she floundered before remembering his tip to relax and she gradually found herself following, not even having to think about what she was doing anymore. Dean was right; the tail was just like legs, doing what she needed without active thought.

Dean led her past the pier where she’d fallen in, closer and closer to the surface when she hit the beach. His head breached the surface before her and as she gasped for air, Y/N realized she’d gone from breathing the water to breathing normally without any noticeable change. 

The handsome merman grinned at her.

“You’ll get used to it,” he promised, then pointed to the deserted part of the beach. “Go up there. As soon as you’re out of the water you’ll feel the change. Use the sand to dry yourself off.” She nodded, following his gaze before looking back at him. He came closer, his hand still holding hers, only inches between them. “I really hope I see you again Y/N.”

She shouldn’t have even thought about promising. But her heart was already running away with her mouth.

“You will,” she whispered, smiling at him.

Dean smiled back at her, before turning and rapidly disappearing into the depths.

The drive home from Brightrock was filled with silence. Mike sat in the front of the car with Kevin, a sulk on his face to go with his black eye. Jem and Kevin had both chewed him out about leaving Y/N in the water after it was his fault she fell in, and Y/N called him an asshole for trying to take advantage. He’d protested, saying she was clearly up for it, which had led to her punching him and giving him the aforementioned black eye.

Kevin had immediately questioned where she’d been, and she’d given them the line Dean had told her to use. Of course, she had to keep her legs tightly pressed together on the journey home, because apparently her legs turning into a tail had shredded her underwear, and she had completely lost her sneakers. 

Now, she was sitting uncomfortably in the car, the short skirt being the only thing between dignity and embarrassment. She was still soaked, even if she suddenly loved the smell of the salty water in her hair and on her clothes.

Pulling up outside her house, Kevin stopped the car; Y/N thanked him, before heading in. She didn’t say goodbye to Mike or Jem, too pissed at both of them to even give them a courteous wave. Kevin looked guilty as hell, and she knew he would probably be begging for forgiveness. It wasn’t his fault - he hadn’t known Mike would be a complete douchebag, and it wasn’t him that pushed her off the pier.

Her dad was on the sofa when she let herself in. Trudging past the doorway to the living room, she didn’t manage to escape his notice and he frowned, standing when he saw his drenched daughter.

“What on earth happened to you?” He glanced at the window. “Did it rain?”

Y/N hesitated, wondering what his reaction was going to be. “Well, we went to Brightrock for the day.” He went stiff as a board at the start of her explanation and she narrowed her eyes, her suspicions already lifting their heads. “I was looking at the water, staying away from it as usual, when the dick that Kevin’s friend brought along, decided I should try swimming.” She shrugged. “I fell in. Got wet. Lost my shoes.”

Her father looked down, as if checking her legs were still there and she frowned. There was definitely something amiss with his behavior, and Y/N found herself thinking back to Dean’s words.

“But you’re okay?” he asked.

“Yeah.” She nodded with a shrug. “I’ll live.”_ Although as what, I don’t know_. “Dad?” He seemed to snap out of his staring, and she moved into the living room, grimacing when her feet squelched on the carpet. “How… how did mom…" 

He shut his eyes, and she knew she was hurting him by asking. He’d loved her mother more than anything in the world, and he didn’t like talking about what had happened. 

Y/N smiled. "Never mind.” She moved closer, giving him a peck on the cheek. “I’m gonna go to bed. All the excitement made me tired. And I have work tomorrow.”

Her dad nodded, his hand coming down gently on her shoulder. “Okay, sweetheart. Love you.” He didn’t say it often, and she smiled back at him, covering his hand with hers.

“Love you too, Dad.”

Two weeks had passed, and she hadn’t come back. Dean had returned to the bay every day since that night, scouring the tourists from afar, walking among them, checking every face, but he never saw hers. Logic told him that he wasn’t likely to see her again but something tight in his chest kept telling him to hope.

As the third week started, he had prepared to swim out from the pod only to be confronted by his brother, Sam.

"Dude.” His baby brother sounded concerned, blocking his path from the elaborate caverns they called home. Sam was a good few inches bigger than him - only his boyish face made it clear he was the younger of the two.

Sighing, Dean came to a stop, staring at his sibling. “What, Sam?”

“I know you’re doing your patrolling and stuff -” Sam hesitated and Dean nodded, folding his arms over his bare chest impatiently, eyeing his brother. “But we do have lives besides that.”

“I know,” Dean grumbled, making to swim around his brother. Sam allowed him past but followed, his large blue tail allowing him to keep up easily. “You don’t need to follow me,” the elder brother seethed. “Don’t you have stuff to do?”

“The archives can manage themselves for a moment,” Sam chuckled. He was one of the smartest in the pod, usually dedicating his time to educating the younglings, or keeping the historic archives up to date. If he wasn’t doing that, he was sneaking onto land to research at the human libraries. Contact with humans wasn’t forbidden - only one thing was. “You’re not just doing rounds.”

Dean’s jaw tightened and Sam nodded, jumping to a conclusion.

“It’s forbidden, Dean! We can go up there, but we can’t… not with humans.” Sam reached out, stopping his brother by grabbing his elbow before he could swim off. “Are you trying to get yourself banished?”

Dean sighed, shaking his head without looking at the other merman. “She’s not human,” he said quietly; Sam frowned.

“But you’re in Brightrock constantly. You’ve been seen, looking through the crowds. One of the others said they even saw you spend hours in that diner you like, just… watching.”

“I like their burgers,” Dean defended before scrubbing a hand through his hair. His tail flicked with his agitation, causing a tiny current. Wrinkling up his nose at his brother’s discomfort, Sam released his hold on his arm. “I met her a couple of weeks ago,” Dean confessed. “She fell in the water and… she changed, Sammy. She was one of us. She just didn’t know.”

“She didn’t know?” Sam looked shocked, rearing back as he spoke, his long locks waving in the water. “How can you not know?”

“I think… her dad. They live inland. She said she was born in Jersey.” Pinching the bridge of his nose, Dean closed his eyes, knowing how crazy it sounded. “I don’t think she’d ever been in the ocean.”

“Which would explain how she didn’t know,” Sam assumed. “If she’s never taken on her natural form… she wouldn’t need to return to the ocean.” The younger merman looked around, concern creasing his forehead. “But she will now, Dean. If she’s been in the water… if she’s one of us, she’ll need to come back. Or she’ll get sick. Really fast.”

Dean paled, his jaw tense. “I didn’t think… she said she’d try and come back but I didn’t think…” He turned away from Sam heading for the exit to the caverns. “She could be in danger. I need to find her.” His tail moved quickly, propelling him through the water and away from the pod. Hesitating for only a second, Sam took off after him.

“Do you know her name?” he called, catching up quickly.

“I know her first name. They have surnames up there, don’t they?” Dean asked; Sam nodded. “I didn’t get that. But I know where she lives.”

“It can’t be too hard to find her. We’ll go to the library.” Both of them were nearing the shallows now, pushing themselves harder with every passing moment. “We can look for her online.”

Dean was grateful for his brother’s help but he didn’t have time to stop and thank him. All he could think was that Y/N might be in danger, and he had to find her before the worst happened.


	3. Chapter 3

There was no getting comfortable. Her stomach clenched whenever she remained still for a few seconds and she could feel bile rising up in her throat with every breath. It must have been something she’d eaten. The problem was, nothing was making it better and Y/N had been in that state for several days already, giving up with work the day before when it seemed she was not improving.

“Sweetheart?” Her dad’s voice made her open her sore eyes, and she managed to give him a small smile. “I made you some chicken soup,” he announced quietly, shouldering the door open without jostling the tray. “Just like you like it.”

“Thanks, Daddy,” she whispered but she made no move to sit up when he placed the tray on the bedside table and took a seat next to her on the edge of the mattress.

“You’re really not well, huh?” He seemed more worried than he usually would have been for a stomach bug. “You only call me that when you’re super poorly.”

“I think I ate something bad,” she mumbled, her throat feeling dry as hell. “Can I have that water?” she asked; her dad nodded, passing it to her. “I’m sure I’ll be fine in a couple of days.”

He smiled tightly, watching her sip at the cool liquid. “I rang work for you.” He ran his hand through her damp hair, smoothing it out of her face. “Good thing you’re still living at home, huh? I know you hate being an adult still living with your old man, but I’m glad you’re here so I can take care of you.”

Y/N smiled gratefully, handing him back the glass of water. “I’m glad too.” Her dad smiled again, standing up from the bed.

“I’ll come check on you in a bit, sweetheart. Just try and get some sleep, yeah?”

She managed another nod, letting her eyes fall closed as she pulled the duvet closer. Sleep took her quickly, and she didn’t even hear the door clicking shut behind him.

Her dreams were sudden and far more vivid than normal. She was back in the sea with Dean, swimming around, tail in place of legs. This time she wore a thin piece of cloth around her breasts, concealing her modesty as she literally frolicked in the water. She felt happy, content… free. Dean instigated a game of chase through the rocks, showing her all the secret places in the bay.

“I wish we could stay like this forever,” he whispered, catching her and pulling her close, his arms around her waist. Their tails tangled together, making them almost spin in the water.

She smiled, touching his face. “Me too,” she replied, allowing him to hold her tightly. “But I can’t stay.”

“I need more time,” he begged, clutching her to his chest, fingers digging into her shoulders.

"There isn’t any.”

Y/N jolted awake, sitting up in bed, dry heaving. There was nothing in her stomach left to throw up, and her skin was slick with sweat. Trying to call out, she found her throat too dry; she collapsed back onto the bed, giving in, unable to ignore the pain anymore.

Maybe this was more than a stomach bug or food poisoning.

Voices reached her through the haze of nausea and dizziness. Y/N opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling as she tried to figure out who was talking and what they were saying.

“Please, you have to let us in.” The first voice sounded familiar and heart-achingly desperate.

“I don’t even know who you are!” Her father was the second voice and she could hear his fear. “You turn up here, claiming you know my daughter…”

“I know who she is!” the first voice pleaded. “She’s sick! She’s gonna die if you don’t let us in!”

The voices grew hushed and Y/N faded again, her conscious thoughts giving way for what felt like hours. Her bedroom door opened, and she opened her eyes again, seeing a very familiar face looking down at her. This time, he wasn’t topless; he was wearing a thin jacket over a plaid shirt and he was standing. 

On legs.

“Dean?” she croaked, barely able to focus with the dryness of her eyes.

“You can’t help her.” Her dad’s voice made her head turn a fraction. “She’s too… I didn’t think…” He sounded upset. Y/N tried to frown but nothing was obeying her, not even facial expressions. “She never showed any signs.”

Dean seemed to ignore him but there was another person in the room who spoke up.

“You didn’t know. It’s not your fault.”

“Sam,” Dean barked. “Get the water into the bath, we have to force the change. It’s the only way to help her now. Brightrock is too far.” Dean was speaking to the other voice but his eyes were still on Y/N.

“I’m dreaming,” she whispered. “I dreamed about you before.” Her hand twitched and she tried to reach for him, to touch his face - nothing happened. “I was gonna come back but then I got sick.”

“You’re not sick, baby,” Dean soothed, slipping his arms underneath her knees and back, lifting her from the bed. “You just need the sea.” She curled into his chest, enjoying the warmth of his body against her own, completely ignoring the fact that her dad was in the room.

“Sea is too far away.” Her voice was growing fainter by the second, but she was warm and safe here, happy to go to sleep…

“No, no, Y/N, stay with me.”

The first thing Y/N noticed when she opened her eyes was the cool feeling of water on her skin and the cold bath underneath her cheek. She could see the white plastic as she took in her surroundings; she blinked, placing her hands on the bottom of the tub. She still felt shaky and sick but nowhere near as bad as she had.

“Hey.” Pushing herself up, she looked over the edge of the tub, seeing Dean sat on the floor, his legs crossed as he watched her carefully.

“Dean?” Her eyes widened as she looked him over. It was strange to see him in jeans and a shirt. He smiled and crawled forwards to her side, sweeping his gaze over the inside of the tub. Y/N followed his line of sight, seeing her brightly colored tail sticking out over the bottom edge. “It wasn’t a dream then.”

“No.” He shook his head, reaching in and cupping one hand to collect the water and splash it over her tail. “Not a dream.”

“I - I don’t understand.” Picking at her soaked pyjama top, Y/N lowered her voice to a hoarse whisper. “You said…”

“I didn’t think,” Dean interrupted. “It was stupid of me to let you go.” He continued to wet the shimmering scales on her tail, taking care not to miss any patches. “This is a temporary fix.”

“Fix to what?” she asked with a frown. “What’s going on?”

The door opened; Y/N looked up, seeing her dad and a guy she had never seen before entering. He was tall, as good looking as Dean, with long floppy hair like some sort of model. Her father, however, looked like a wreck. His eyes were red rimmed, and it was obvious he’d been crying. He stood awkwardly behind Dean, staring at her intently. A little part of her felt like covering up - she wasn’t wearing pants but it wasn’t like there was anything on display. His gaze landed on the tail, and he sniffed like he was going to cry again.

“Same color as your mother’s.”

Her eyes widened at the revelation and Dean stood up, nodding at the other man she didn’t know, who left the bathroom. Then he glanced between Y/N and her father. “We’ll give you some space. Keep splashing,” he said, giving her a tight smile with the instruction before he left them alone.

Once the door closed, Y/N sat up, submerging most of her tail in the salty water. “Dad… I don’t understand what’s going on.”

Her father pulled out the stool from under the sink, pulling it to the side of the bath, taking a seat. “I’ve been lying to you for a long, Y/N. I’m so sorry.”

“Mom didn’t die in a boat accident, did she?” It wasn’t so much a question as a statement and she saw his eyes fill up with tears again; he shook his head. “Tell me, Dad. Please.” She kept her voice soft - she didn’t need a degree to realize he had been trying to protect her.

“I met your mother when I was on holiday with my family. I was barely twenty. And she was… I fell from a kayak, a distance away from the group. Thought I was going to die.” He looked up at the ceiling, remembering back almost thirty years. “She was beautiful. Appearing out of nowhere, wearing nothing but a smile and coral netting around her. I’m not ashamed to admit I fell in love immediately." 

Wiping at his eyes, he shifted on the stool. "But it was… difficult. Your mother being what she was, it was forbidden. They can come up here, they can talk to us, interact with us but it’s a rule that they can’t… be with us. And she broke that rule. She ran away.” He sniffed again. “We were careful. But not careful enough. When she found out that she was pregnant, she didn’t know what to do. There was a fifty-fifty chance you’d be like her. Born like her. We wouldn’t know until it happened. And she couldn’t give you up.” He looked over at his daughter, smiling sadly. 

“I couldn’t give you up. Or her. I begged her to stay, even though I knew she had to return to the sea, to stay alive. And she managed that. We got a place in Washington, on the coast.”

Y/N frowned, shaking her head. “I thought I was born in Jersey.”

Her father shook his head. “I had a friend from college who helped me forge the paperwork.”

Her heart felt cold as the lies came out. “So everything… everything in my life is a lie?”

“No!” He reached out, touching her arm lightly. “No. We just had to protect you. We don’t know who knows what these days. There’s a chance that anyone could take you. Your mother and I… we decided to stay away from the sea. To keep you safe. When you were born, it didn’t look like you’d inherited that side.” He shook his head, looking down at the floor. “We were foolish. Your mother said to keep you away from the sea at all costs. So we moved here.”

“And what happened to mom?”

“She…” There was a second of hesitation, an internal struggle that he had to fight through to talk about it. “She got sick. Like you did. She was returning to the ocean every few weeks. But she hated leaving you.” Pausing, he met Y/N’s eyes with a teary gaze. “You got the flu when you were little. She didn’t want to leave. I kept telling her to go but she refused. I offered to take her, and you, but she didn’t want you near the sea.” A choked sob escaped his throat. “By the time… it was too late.” He let go of her arm, but Y/N only grabbed his hand.

“It’s not your fault, Dad,” she whispered, squeezing his fingers. "Mom… she was just…”

“Stubborn like you,” he replied, tears falling down his cheeks. “And now I could lose you too.”

“No. You’re not gonna lose me. I feel better.”

“Dean and Sam said this was only a short-term fix. That it won’t work for long.” He looked over at the huge tail spilling over the edge of his bathtub, water dripping onto the floor. “You need to go to the ocean, sweetheart.”

“So,” she shrugged, “I’ll go. I can come back. Dean did. He said that once I’m dry…” She struggled to sit up, her hands sliding on the edges of the tub.

“You need to stay. Get adjusted to that world.” Her father looked so sad as he said it. Y/N wanted to comfort him, but the nausea was rapidly returning to her body. “It’s better for you. Maybe in time, you can come home but you’ll be forever tied to that world.” His chin dropped to his chest. “I tried so hard to keep you safe…”

“Daddy…” He was crying freely now, and without a care for her own well being, Y/N flung herself at him, arms wrapping around his neck, her own tears spilling over. “I love you, Dad. I promise I’ll come home.”

“Oh my sweet girl…” He sobbed into her shoulder, holding her tightly despite the soggy pyjama top slowly drenching his shirt. “You’re so brave. Your mom would be so proud of you.” Y/N nodded, burying her face against his shoulder like she had when she was little and scared. She wished she felt like it was true, that she was being brave but the truth was, she was just waiting to wake up from what was turning into a nightmare.

She didn’t want to leave him. The hug they shared on the doorstep, once she had legs again, was bittersweet and difficult to break. Her dad had been the one constant in her entire life, and she knew that she wouldn’t be seeing him again for a long time. She watched out of the rear window of the car until she couldn’t see him anymore, then she turned in her seat, looking at the two men in the front.

The other man was Dean’s younger brother, Sam, and apparently he was also a merperson. Y/N wasn’t even sure if that was the correct pronoun. He’d smiled and introduced himself, and he seemed nice enough. It had been his idea to bring water from the ocean to try and stop the sickness advancing.

“How long will it take us to get back?” she asked, desperate to distract herself from the turmoil she was feeling. It was getting worse by the second, and she was becoming anxious to get this all done with so she could return home already.

“About an hour. There’s no straight route,” Dean explained. “But Baby is fast.”

‘”Baby?” she questioned, frowning at him in the rearview.

Sam looked back at her, chuckling. “He named the car. He keeps it, even though he never goes anywhere. It was our dad’s.”

“Your dad? Why would a mer… merperson need a car?” _Damn pronouns_. Sam smirked, sharing a look with his brother.

Dean glanced back at her with a smile. “Our dad was… unconventional. He lived on land a lot.”

“I thought that was forbidden,” she commented, watching him closely.

"It’s forbidden to live _with _humans,” Sam corrected. “But living alongside them is fine, not that it’s common. We’re the only ones we know of. Our parents managed to make it work until our mom was killed by a trawler net when I was a youngling. Dad… didn’t take it too well.”

Dean scoffed, flexing his fingers on the wheel. “If take it too well you mean he went off the deep end and disappeared for years before coming back and being exiled.” His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “This car is all we have left.”

“Is he still…?” Y/N wasn’t sure how to end that question but both brothers appeared to get her meaning.

“He died,” Sam mumbled, watching Dean carefully. “We don’t know how. But we knew when it happened.”

She leaned forward curiously. “How did you know?”

“We have a… it’s a familial connection, probably the best way to explain it,” Sam provided as Dean pulled a face that she could easily see in the mirror. “We can tell when a member of the pod has gone.” He smiled hesitantly, glancing at his brother again. “It’s stronger between mates." 

A strange look crossed her face; Sam noticed, chuckling. 

"Merpeople mate for life. And we usually find our mates young.”

“Oh,” she whispered, raising an eyebrow. “So are you…” The question was directed at Sam although Dean squirmed uncomfortably.

Sam nodded. “I am. Dean is…” Silence fell as Dean cleared his throat, obviously not happy with the turn of conversation. Y/N smiled when she had another thought. 

“But how do you… you know…” She hummed, unable to finish the question and Sam laughed when he figured it out. Dean gave her a small smile in the mirror.

“Like you do.” He looked over at Sam who glanced down with a grin before taking over from his brother.

“Obviously, with a tail? Not gonna be the easiest thing. We’re not entirely human. But still mammal. No one knows how far back our genetics split from humans. It’s one of the things I’ve been researching, not that I’m getting anywhere.”

“And he’s off,” Dean muttered, rolling his eyes. “Such a geek.” Y/N giggled despite the situation, as Sam lightly punched his brother.

“Anyway,” Sam continued, “we’re still mammals with respect to breeding. We’re pretty much human for that. We just… have a special place where we go. Above water, but it’s like a black hole for humans. They can’t detect it.”

“Like the Bermuda triangle?” she hesitated and Sam’s face lit up.

“Exactly! There’s loads of them dotted all over the world.” He grinned widely, looking at Dean. “I like her. She’s smart.” She smiled bashfully as Dean returned his brother’s earlier punch with one of his own. 

Pulling at the cotton bottoms she was wearing, Y/N settled onto the upholstery, letting a yawn free as the exhaustion started to catch up to her. “You should get some shut eye,” Dean murmured, his green eyes watching her in the mirror. “Save your strength. We’ll get you back in plenty of time. Thanks to Sammy.”

A sleepy grin spread over her face as she closed her eyes. “Yeah. Good idea.”


	4. Chapter 4

He almost hadn’t made it.

Watching Y/N sleeping in the backseat of the old car he kept, he was thankful for his brother so much more. It hurt to think that he’d almost lost her without even having her in the first place. 

She was here and he was taking her home.

Yeah, maybe she thought of Talbot as her home, maybe she always would but Dean knew that the ocean was her true home.

All Sam’s talk of mates had him thinking about the first time he’d seen her, weeks before. He’d never felt that way before. And he’d definitely never felt that way about any of the mermaids in their pod. Sam had Jess, of course, with her bright pink scales and enticing blonde hair. Wouldn’t be long before they had younglings of their own.

Dean had never expected to find anyone. He’d spent his whole life looking after Sam, practically raising him after what had happened to their mother and father. He taught Sam how to hunt, how to ride the waves, how to change into human form and blend in on land. He taught him how to read, though it hadn’t been long before he overtook his big brother in the smarts department.

He’d never put much thought beyond looking out for Sammy, or doing his duty to the pod. The only thing he had in his life was the car his father had fawned over when he was a youngling, when he’d watched him from the water as he fixed the old thing up, questioning everything his dad was doing. His first steps as human had been beside the Impala and he’d learned to drive it by trial and error, one of which had included crashing it and earning himself some punishment.

Y/N had dropped into his life like the proverbial bombshell. She was stunning, and captured his attention like no female ever had. Everything about her was perfect.

And he’d almost let her die.

She’d never even think of him like that now.

Watching her in the rearview mirror, he sighed, grabbing his brother’s attention. Sam frowned, following his brother’s eyes to the sleeping woman in the back of the car.

“What’s wrong?”

“She almost died, Sam,” Dean kept his voice quiet, “because I’m a dumbass.”

“But she didn’t,” Sam argued. “She’s gonna be fine. A few more miles and we’ll be home.” He smiled, stretching out in his seat, his long legs filling the space between his seat and the dash. “You can show her how to be a mermaid. Show her our world.” His eyes lingered on his brother. “Maybe you and her…”

“Don’t, Sam.” Dean grit his teeth together. “We both know she won’t… there’s someone better for her out there. A mate she can rely on. Someone who didn’t almost get her killed.”

“Dean, you didn’t know -”

“I should have!” The outburst was sudden and Y/N shifted in the backseat, frowning in her sleep, making Dean pause and pushing on the accelerator. “She’s not gonna look at me that way, Sam,” he hissed. “So just drop it.”

Sam sat back, holding his hands together in his lap, looking down. He wished Dean wouldn’t be so defensive. He knew there was something there but it was just like him to sacrifice his happiness because he thought he wasn’t enough.

Except Sam knew better, and he had a sneaking suspicion that Y/N did too.

She smelled the sea before she opened her eyes, hearing the waves crashing against rocks and seabirds flying overhead. Sitting up in the back seat of the Impala, Y/N saw both brothers were outside, standing and looking out over the bay. It wasn’t where she’d been with the first time she had been here, it looked like the other side of the bay, a long way from the beach. All there was beside the car was slanted wide rocks, flat surfaces slick with ocean spray and algae.

Dean turned as she shifted, her fingers reaching for the door handle. He was quick to be at the door, opening it and helping her out, Sam’s eyes watching carefully.

“How are you feeling?” Dean asked quietly.

Y/N looked up at him, feeling more tired than she had before she’d fallen asleep. “Pretty awful.”

Sam grimaced, shaking his head at Dean. “She needs to get in the water. Now.” Dean held her face between his hands, pushing her hair back out of her eyes. She stared up at him, a little dazed smile on her lips and he frowned, glancing at his brother.

“You take her,” he instructed softly; Y/N tried not to scowl although Sam had no such reservation. “I’ll get the car back to the garage and find you at home.”

“Are you sure?” Sam countered. “Maybe you’d be better off taking her and -”

“No, it’s okay,” Dean insisted. “Y/N will be safe with you. I won’t be long. I swim faster than you do anyway.”

Sam watched him for a moment before relenting, moving to support Y/N as Dean turned away, climbing back into the car. The younger merman’s strong arms held her close, both of them watching as Dean drove away in the car without waiting.

“What’s wrong with him?” she asked, noticing how raspy her voice was. She couldn’t deny that a part of her was hurt by Dean leaving like that and she wondered if she’d done something wrong.

“He’s an idiot,” Sam grunted, “that’s what’s wrong with him.” Glowering, Sam helped her turn, allowing him to lead her down a slippery path towards the water. “Watch your step, Y/N. It’s not the easiest of paths but it’s the best place not to be seen.”

“What about my clothes?”

“Leave the shirt on,” he said, as they drew closer to the edge of the rocks. It was refreshing to feel the spray on her face, and she was beginning to crave the soothing water. “I’m gonna dive in first, okay? The change is gonna shred your pants. You wanna take them off?”

“Seems like a waste of clothing,” she replied, wobbling on her own two feet as Sam stopped and let go of her to pull his jeans off.

“It is sometimes.” He discarded the jeans, standing a pair of ancient boxer shorts. “Trust me, you don’t want to change with jeans on. It hurts. Cotton pants will be fine. They’ll rip anyway. Keep your top on, it won’t slow your swimming. We’ll find you something a little less confining when we get back to the pod.”

“The pod is… your group, right?” she asked and Sam nodded, smiling when he saw how nervous she was.

“I’ll introduce you to Jess. Don’t worry. It’s gonna be fine. You’re one of us. They’ll accept you.” Y/N nodded, still unsure, watching as he pulled off his shirt, exposing his muscled chest and she wondered briefly if all mermen were this damn good looking. Or the mermaids for that matter. 

Would she fit in? She didn’t feel like a supermodel, like how they looked to her.

Sam threw himself off the rocks, making a graceful arch in the air before disappearing with barely a splash underneath the water. When he emerged seconds later, several meters from where he’d jumped in, his long hair was sticking to his skin. He grinned and waved over at her.

“Your turn,” he called.

Y/N looked down before dropping to her ass on the rock edge, dipping her toe in. It was pleasantly warm and she took a breath, pushing herself in, far less graceful than Sam had been. As soon as she was submerged, she felt the change.

It wasn’t as overwhelming as before, or as painful. The cotton of her pants ripped away easily, just like Sam had said, leaving her in only the shirt. Taking a breath under the water, she opened her eyes, everything becoming sharper all at once.

"Is it always like this?” she gasped, remaining still in the water for a moment.

“Like what?” Sam asked, swimming down around her, waiting for her to get her bearings.

“So…” She paused, searching for the right word. “Sharp. Like being a human is dull. And then everything is dialed up to a thousand.”

He nodded, his hair moving around his head through the water like some kind of halo. With a crooked smile, he waited, giving her as much time as she needed.

Flicking her tail back and forth, Y/N experimented with the limb she hadn’t quite adjusted to yet before swimming in a circle around Sam. She imagined she looked fairly stupid in an Eeyore pajama top with a tail but feeling the water moving around her, the naturalness of her movements… she didn’t care anymore. It felt like it had in her dream.

“So this is what freedom feels like,” she whispered and Sam chuckled.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “It’s home, where we belong. I love it up there,” he pointed to the surface, where the sun sprinkled over the waves, making extraordinary patterns underneath the water, “the technology, the food, the sun… but down here? Down here is _my _world. We’re not confined, we’re not controlled.“ He swam a little way ahead. "Let me show you.”

He took off; Y/N followed, letting her body do the work without actively thinking. If she put too much thought into it, she found herself going the wrong way; apparently being too conscious of the tail would throw her off. After a few moments, she gained momentum, and a smile spread over her face as she swam through the water, losing herself in swimming.

“You’re good,” Sam chuckled, watching as Y/N span herself around, getting acquainted with her new form. “It’s not far to the pod. You can be fast when you want to be.”

Y/N narrowed her eyes, focusing on swimming ahead, moving through the water faster than she had ever been able to run. She giggled and rolled, enjoying the movement, until she found herself knocked sideways. Tumbling through the water, she came to a stop before shaking her head and trying to figure out what had happened.

“You hit a current,” Sam called, quickly catching up to her with a huge grin on his face. “You’ll get used to them and figure out how to navigate.”

“Okay.” Her reply was short, confidence knocked; she spent the rest of the swim sticking close to Sam. After a half hour or so, he started to slow, and Y/N looked ahead, seeing an outcrop of rock on the ocean floor. It was unclear how far they had swum - she couldn’t hear any signs of human life like she had at the bay. She could hear voices, but they were clear and not muffled.

“Look.” Sam pointed down and on the sandy floor, Y/N saw other merpeople, some sitting on rocks, others swimming around. There were smaller shapes too and at first, she thought they might be fish, but upon closer inspection… they were tiny merpeople. “Younglings,” Sam explained. "We age at the same rate as humans, although we’re mobile much earlier. That’s kind of… a kindergarten would be the closest comparison.”

“How do you know so much about my…” Y/N paused. “The human world?”

Sam shrugged. “We haven’t hidden from it. You just can’t use an iPhone underwater.” She laughed, following him down through the rock outcrop. As they got closer, it became clear it was a series of intricate caves, and there were merpeople everywhere.

“How many of you are there?” she asked, keeping even closer to him as other merpeople stared at them and whispered.

“About two hundred here. That’s a normal pod size.” He pointed at a cavern. “Don’t worry, Y/N. Once they realize what’s happened, they’ll take you in. We’re a friendly species.”

“I just… this is all new. I know you seem to think it’s nothing but… I just left my whole life behind.” Sam slowed to a stop and looked back at her. He opened his mouth, ready to say something, when someone shouted his name.

“Sam!”

Y/N followed the sound, seeing a stunningly beautiful blonde mermaid coming towards them, her pink tail fanning out behind her. Sam smiled, moving towards her and embracing her tightly. There was some kind of netting around her top half, and Y/N swallowed, astounded by how gorgeous she was.

“Jess. God, I missed you.” He hugged her tightly, kissing her once, before turning back to Y/N. “Y/N. This is Jess, my mate.” He beamed proudly and Jess detangled herself from his grip and swam towards the newcomer.

“Hi, Y/N.” She looked back at Sam. “Podless?”

“It’s a little more complicated than that,” Sam admitted, and Jess frowned.

“Where’s Dean?” she asked, looping her arm through Y/N’s, the smaller mermaid glancing at the sudden touch with a panicked reaction. Jess patted her arm reassuringly. “Don’t worry, sweetie. We’ll take care of you.” She smiled and Y/N relaxed, finding herself warming to the other female.

“He’s catching up. Y/N here was born on land,” Sam explained. “She only found out about this a couple weeks ago. Her mom was… one of us.” Jess’ mouth fell open as she looked back at Y/N.

“Oh hon, this must be so overwhelming.” She squeezed the other mermaid tightly. “Look, Sam can go find Dean. You and me, we’ll go get you sorted out. This top must be so uncomfortable and heavy." 

Y/N nodded, too stunned by her easy acceptance to fight her on anything. Her tail swung a little, and she realized that it seemed to respond to emotions. 

Jess wasn’t done issuing orders. "Sam, go find your brother. I’m gonna get Y/N sorted out, okay?”

“You’re the boss.” He bowed a little, and Y/N smiled. It was unclear if the women were in charge in the pod but Sam seemed to defer to his lady anyway and swam away. As Jess pulled her in the direction of the caves, Y/N gave no resistance.

All she could worry about was Dean and why he hadn’t come back with them.


	5. Chapter 5

It was quiet on the cliff top. Dean sat with his head in his hands, knowing he should return home but unwilling to. He didn’t even want to go back into the water right now, which was unusual in itself. Returning meant facing the truth of what he felt and he wasn’t ready.

Deep in his bones, he knew Y/N was his. It wasn’t a coincidence that he’d been the one to find her.

Except he’d messed it all up and nearly let her die.

“Dean?”

His brother’s voice interrupted his thoughts and he looked down, over the edge of the cliff. It wasn’t a long drop, only twenty feet or so, but he’d thought it would be far enough for Sam not to find him.

Couldn’t underestimate his smart-ass brother’s abilities though.

The younger merman floated in the water underneath the drop, looking up at him like a parent scolding a child. “Dean, come down.”

“I need some space, Sam.” Dean looked down at his little brother, watching his blue tail as he floated underneath the cliff.

“You need to come home,” Sam called back, frowning at his brother’s reluctance. “Sitting up there sulking won’t do you any good. Y/N is with Jess. She’s okay but she’s freaked out. I can tell.”

Rolling his eyes, Dean shook his head. “She’ll be fine with you and Jess.”

“She needs you.”

“No one needs me,” Dean muttered, turning away.

“Look, I can’t come up there,” Sam yelled, his tone conveying his irritation. “But you can’t stay on land forever, Dean.”

“I know that.”

“So come home.” Sam paused, and Dean knew he was gearing up for an argument. “You know she needs you. I’ve seen the way you look at each other, Dean. She was really hurt when you left earlier. And we all know you’d be the best person to teach her how to live like this.”

Dean shook his head again, continuing to deny it. “I’ll only mess it up, Sam. I nearly got her killed once already.” He heard his brother sigh heavily, his fins slapping the water as he leaned back.

“You really believe that? It’s a unique kinda situation, Dean. And besides, you wanna see her happy with some other merman?” He paused for a reaction; Dean felt his stomach twist. “You know it doesn’t work like that. If you two are meant to be… you have to get past this. Stop thinking you’re not worthy.”

Everything went quiet and Dean picked at the rocky surface of the cliff, contemplating his brother’s words, knowing he was still sitting in the water waiting for a response he wasn’t going to get. After a few moments, Sam splashed a little and gave another sigh. “I’m going home. It’s dark, and the bay is clear. Don’t be out here all night, Dean. Come home. Don’t turn your back on this. Don’t turn your back on her.”

He was gone.

Dean sat for a while longer, watching the sun finally disappear beyond the horizon. He’d never been much further than the bay. Before today, he’d never been as far as Talbot. He’d only driven Baby around Brightrock. Usually, he’d wonder about the world beyond but as he’d gotten older, he’d preferred the calm of the ocean.

The sea was his home - the pod was his home. He wasn’t going to turn his back on that. But his life had been the same for so long and Sammy hadn’t needed him for a long time. Saying that Y/N needed him now… it gave him a spark of hope he didn’t think he deserved.

He stood from his spot, looking down at the legs he had never really gotten used to. Walking was handy and the human world offered its pleasures. But he knew where he belonged.

Stepping back, he turned his back on the sea, before he took a sprint towards the edge of the cliff and swan dived into the water, feeling his body returning to its natural state. With a yell of exhilaration, he jumped from the water, twisting his body in mid air before splashing back down.

He turned towards home, and swam, faster than he’d ever swum before.

Everything was overwhelming. Just the sheer scale of this world, the differences… it was hard for Y/N to process it. Even the simplest thing, like how everyone talked and communicated with each other. How they knew so much stuff about the human world; they knew about technologies and science - they even used some of it.

It was almost… Amish.

Jess was a big help, and Y/N found herself feeling a little more comfortable with her aiding the transition with every passing moment. The first thing she’d done was introduce her to an older mermaid called Ellen, who’d straight away sorted her out with something to wear on top that was a little less weighty than the pajama top. Y/N wasn’t entirely sure about swimming around wearing basically a boob tube.

The assurance that most people wouldn’t pay attention was a little concerning - Jess clarified that most unmated males would pay attention until she had a mate.

That was the topic that panicked her. Of course, Jess _had _to bring it up while Ellen was sewing up the fabric behind her back, so she couldn’t exactly run away.

“You’ll know it when it happens, sweetie, trust me,” Jess gushed, swinging her tail where she sat on a rock opposite them. “It’s like nothing else in the world.”

“I think I’ve had my fill of new sensations recently,” Y/N commented dryly. “I mean, almost dying and finding out you’re a member of a species that has so far only shown up in Disney movies…”

Ellen chuckled, finishing off the last few stitches. “My kids begged me to take them to see that at the movies.”

“You go to the movies?” Y/N blinked and Ellen moved around her front.

“Course we do, sweetheart. Just think of us like…” She paused, then smiled. “Hippies. We know about the technology and all the world above offers, we just choose to live apart.” Ellen grinned at her then glanced over at Jess. “It’s safer down here. No wars. Only humans carry that baggage. We don’t.”

“That sounds…nice,” Y/N said, a little lost for words. “So you don’t like…ever have things going on with others? Like, the pods? Is there more than one?” She didn’t even know if what she was saying made sense.

Jess nodded, taking a piece of fabric. “Sure we do. We meet up with other pods. Share gifts. But we don’t fight. There’s no point. Enough evil up there without bringing it down here.” Moving, Jess started rifling through a small box on the other side of the cavern Ellen used for her work. Apparently, the older mermaid was seamstress to the entire pod. “Ah-ha! These will do perfectly.”

She swam over to Y/N as Ellen finished up the top she’d been crafting. Jess held out her hand, palm up, unveiling two pins, made out of what looked like coral. They were small, and perfectly formed and Y/N reached out, running a hand over them.

“It’s a lot easier to pin your hair back sometimes,” Jess explained, reaching up and fixing Y/N’s hair in place. “I’ve tried to get Sam to wear them but he likes his hair long and loose. Plus, Dean made fun of him when he was wearing them.”

Nodding absently, Y/N nibbled on her bottom lip, unsure how to phrase her questions. “How is everything so different but the same?” she wondered out loud, earning herself a curious look from both the other women. “I mean… I guess it’s like Ellen said, huh?”

Ellen smiled, patting her on the shoulder. “Run along, hon. I’m sure Jess has plenty to show you.” She glanced at the blonde, pointing a finger at her. “Don’t forget to take her down to Rufus and see if he’s got a room spare. She probably won’t need it for long, though.” The older mermaid winked and Y/N looked at Jess in confusion as she grabbed her hand.

“Don’t mind her,” she laughed. “She’s an old sea hag sometimes. Likes to gossip.”

Ellen stuck her tongue out and waved as they swam away, the entire exchange confusing the newcomer. “Where are we going now?” she asked, noticing the friendly looks from other mermaids and mermen as they passed by. Jess turned around, swimming backwards; Y/N watched in amazement, not quite brave enough to try it herself. Long blonde hair fanned out behind her as she swam and the different pinks in her scales showed up under the shimmering reflection from the sunny surface.

“I’ve got to go and introduce you to my sister,” Jess commented. “She’s going to adore you.”

“Oh, okay.”

Swimming down, further away from the main bulk of the caves, Y/N realized Jess was leading her towards where she’d seen the younglings playing earlier. She slowed a little behind her as they approached a mermaid with short red hair and a slightly longer, tunic type top over her chest.

“Hey, Jess!” The mermaid waved and Jess waved back, coming to a stop beside the redhead, who bent down and picked up a tiny little merperson. As she turned them in her arms, Y/N realized it was a little girl, who looked to be about three years of age.

“Hey now, Tabitha,” the redhead scolded as the child tugged at her loose strands of hair, giggling loudly. “What did I say about pulling hair?”

“She misbehaving again, Charlie?” Jess chuckled, wiggling a finger at the three-year-old when she came to a stop right beside them. Tabitha slapped it away, poking her tongue out. She blew a raspberry, which was mostly bubbles in the water, and Y/N couldn’t help but smile.

“Of course.” Charlie looked over at her, raising an eyebrow. “This must be the new arrival. Poor thing, this must be pretty weird, huh?”

Y/N wasn’t sure how to answer, uncertain of the sudden knowledge of her within the pod. She didn’t feel like big news, yet it appeared she was. “Erm…”

“News travels fast down here,” Jess explained. "We might not have Twitter but everyone knows everything.” Staring at the blonde, Y/N found herself speechless at her casual language and knowledge of social media. Did they have Instagram too?

The whole situation was getting weirder and weirder by the second.

Maybe she really had got food poisoning and was currently hallucinating everything.

“Tabitha!” Charlie yelled as the youngling launched herself from her carer’s arms and into Y/N’s. She yelped but caught her, holding her wriggling little body, her yellow tail slapping against her stomach as the child giggled and tried to hug her. “Come back here.”

Tabitha stopped wriggling and became a dead weight in Y/N’s arms as she held her up. “I don’t wanna.”

“Now now, young lady.” Another mermaid with blue and blonde hair swam over, taking Tabitha from her. “It’s time for your swimming lesson.”

Charlie grinned, watching as the small mermaid was carried away by her teacher. Y/N followed her gaze. “Swimming lessons?”

“We can’t really swim properly until we’re about five. Muscles aren’t strong enough. Tabitha is getting there. She’s over the doggy paddle at least,” Jess chuckled and Charlie smiled proudly.

“Is she yours?” Y/N asked the redhead, who shook her head in response.

“Not biologically,” she chirped. “I adopted her.”

It was too hard to keep the surprise out of her voice when she reacted. “That happens down here?”

Touching her arm to let her know it was okay, Jess smiled. “It’s a little less formal. Tabitha’s mom died having her. It happens sometimes. So Charlie took her on.”

“What happened to the father?” Y/N kept her question gentle and Jess sighed.

“No one knows. Sometimes… it can be hard to lose a mate,” Jess replied solemnly. “We don’t question it. If he comes back, he’ll be able to see his youngling but he won’t be allowed to care for her on his own. Charlie is her mom now. She’s all the family she’ll ever need really.”

“What if you mate with someone and have your own?”

Charlie laughed, finding Y/N’s question funny for some reason. “That wouldn’t happen. I’m not going to take a male. Ever.” Y/N stared at her and she smirked, folding her arms across her chest. “I prefer the pink fin, if you get my drift.”

“Oh!” Y/N exclaimed, catching on. “Oh, that’s… I didn’t…” It felt like her cheeks were on fire with her shame at being so slow. “Sorry.” Her apology was answered with more cheery laughter, making her smile, a little more comfortable in her skin with the gentle ribbing.

“No need to apologize,” Charlie kept chuckled, shaking her head, “I’m sure Jess has told you, we’re not much different from humans. We just swim instead of walking.” She glanced at her sister, rolling her eyes when she spotted her staring longingly at the younglings playing not far away. “Besides, Jess is gonna have loads of little ones with Sam. They’re so in love it’s sickening.”

“Shut it.” Jess pushed her sister playfully; Y/N smiled at their interaction, feeling her tail twitch again. It was an odd sensation, like a tic, but it seemed to happen for different emotions.

“Y/N!” The shout came from above them and all three mermaids looked up. Dean was returning, with Sam behind him, and both brothers came closer. Y/N’s tail was practically vibrating with happiness at seeing Dean again - in fact, her entire body was screaming at her for some reason she couldn’t figure out.

Jess watched her with a knowing look on her face. “You know…” she started, crossing her arms, “they say mates a predestined. And Dean did find you. Maybe you should read into that.” She jerked her head towards Dean as Y/N went still, trying not to look at the approaching men. 

Sam parted from Dean, picking up speed and dropping sudden, grabbing Jess as he ascended again, pulling her up through the water. They span together, her laughter drowning out Dean’s irritated groan. When they came to a stop, Sam kissed her softly. “Missed you,” he murmured.

“Missed you too,” Jess replied, rubbing her nose against his. Charlie made a gagging noise as Dean turned his head.

“See? Sickening.” The redhead sighed. “I’m gonna go find my little terror. Catch you guys later.” She threw a hand up, waving as she swam away. Y/N watched her go, feeling Dean float to her side, prompting her to look over at him.

“Hey,” he greeted sheepishly. “How’s everything going?” She nodded, suddenly unsure how to talk to him. “Jess showing you around?”

“I was,” Jess interrupted, coming back to the floor with Sam at her side, their hands tightly clasped together. “She still needs to see Rufus but he might have disappeared for the evening now. You know what he’s like.”

Dean chuckled, shaking his head. “That old shark never changes.” His eyes landed on Y/N, his next question hesitantly spoken. “Do you want to stay with me tonight?“

"Is – is that appropriate?” she asked quietly and Dean smiled, taking her hand.

“I think it’ll be okay.”


	6. Chapter 6

Under the surface of the ocean, even with the glow of luminous plants around the caverns, it did eventually get too dark for the merfolks’ enhanced vision. As they swam lower in the caverns, Dean explained merpeople started their days at around midday human time and didn’t stop until past midnight. The baby merpeople, or “younglings” as they were properly called, were educated just like human kids and every adult seemed to have a purpose within the small society.

“There isn’t much difference down here, is there? Just less technology,” Y/N commented, following Dean closely through the smaller halls. “Everyone lives in here?”

He nodded, stopped as he reached another corridor built from the rock. “We live together as a pod. Like a big dormitory. If the pod relocates, everyone goes. No one gets left behind.”

“That’s kinda nice,” she mumbled, following him around the corner. “Not being left out, I mean. It’s like one big family.” She paused, looking up at the intricately carved rock ceilings. If they did move around, it didn’t look like they’d left this place for a long time. The close proximity of each quarters didn’t seem to leave much room for privacy, something she wasn’t sure she’d get on with. “Don’t you get fed up with everyone being around?”

Dean shrugged lazily, swishing his tail when he looked back at her. “Not really. I mean, I go off on my own all the time. We still have our own lives. Just the way it’s always been - pod sticks together. If anything bad happens, we’re all here, we can fight as one and protect each other.”

She wanted to ask if anything bad had ever happened, stopping herself as she realized she was searching for the negatives in this world when it only appeared to be utopia.

"Hey, Dean!" 

The voice made her turn; Dean smiled at the newcomer. He was another merman but she noticed right away that his shimmering white tail was damaged - one fin was half cut away, a ragged scar where it should have pointed outwards. His gait was awkward as he swam toward them, waving something above his head. "I got that parchment you wanted,” he panted, catching up.

Dean’s smile blossomed into a grin. "Oh, thanks Garth, awesome.” The smaller merman handed him the item, smiling at her shyly before swimming away, leaving an odd current behind him.

“Who’s that?” she asked, almost a whisper.

“Garth. He’s a good friend. A little… odd.” Nodded, she glanced back the way Garth had disappeared. Dean tucked the parchment into the leather pouch at his waist. “His fin. I know you noticed.” Dean sighed. “He was caught in a net. One of those big ones they drop to catch tuna? Ripped half his fin away before he could escape. We found him almost bleeding out. Got him back here and Bobby patched him up.”

“Bobby?”

“Ellen’s mate. He’s old and cantankerous, likes to sneak topside for a whiskey. He thinks Ellen doesn’t know, but she does and one day she’s gonna have his ass for it.”

Y/N laughed, following as Dean continued on down the corridor. “Who’s in charge?”

“No one,” Dean replied. “We don’t do that. We don’t need it. That’s a human rule, not ours. We decide together, as a pod. The elders take the big decisions, not that there are many, and the rest of us work together as a community.”

Definitely a utopia. But it seemed to work for them.

Of course, Y/N was part of _them _now. “Wow,” she mumbled, unsure what else she could say.

He stopped at the furthest doorway, pulling the seaweed curtain across it to one side, motioning for her to swim inside. The cave was small, with very few things inside. Y/N looked around, supposing that if they were naked most of the time, they didn’t need much in the way of furniture.

“I know it’s not much,” Dean chuckled, gesturing to the bed of soft coral, covered with some kind of dark green cushiony plant, “but it’s comfortable. We don’t exactly need anything down here.”

“I guessed,” she said, smiling and turning to him with a shrug. “It’s cosy.”

He scratched the back of his head, suddenly bashful like it was the first time he’d had a girl in his room. “You can take the bed.”

“Stay with me,” she blurted out, swimming a little closer, almost unconsciously. “I mean, if you don’t mind? I’m still not used to this. And it’s not like you can wake me up with morning wood.” It was meant as a joke but Dean went bright red, causing Y/N to backtrack quickly with wide eyes. “I didn’t mean that, I meant by… shit…”

He laughed then, pulling her close. “No, I couldn’t,” he admitted. “Doesn’t mean I can’t think about it.” His hands on her arms suddenly felt too close but not close enough at the same time; she looked up into those impossibly green eyes of his, sighing softly. “Are you going to be okay with this?” he asked, concern ripping across his features. “Twenty plus years topside and you’re suddenly in a world with no phones, no tvs…”

“I thought it was going to be terrifying,” she murmured, pressing her nose against his chin, taking comfort in his touch. “But it’s not like I have to stay permanently.” His expression crumbled when she pulled away and she cursed herself, shaking her head. “I mean, that I _can _leave. On occasion. I can still experience that life. But now…” She faltered, unsure how to explain the feeling of being around him, like she finally _belonged_. “I don’t have to pay taxes?”

Silence followed the remark, and Y/N panicked, only for Dean’s slight chuckle to give her pause. “You know, Y/N,” he drawled, shaking his head. “You’re a pretty amazing girl.”

“Apparently I’m a mermaid, not a girl,” she retorted, and he grinned, affection written across his face, making her feel warm inside and out.

“You’re both,” he corrected, taking her hand and leading her to the coral bed. “Maybe that’s what makes you so special.”

Dean awoke with a start, his dreams confusing and jumbled. Rolling over, he remembered the day before just as he shifted his tail on top of the coral. He blinked when it moved, looking down, seeing golden and red scales underneath his green ones and he realized he wasn’t covering the coral, he was covering another tail with his own.

Y/N shifted in her sleep, burrowing a little closer to him; he smiled, leaving his tail where it was, despite what it meant. He was already protecting her anyway, there was no harm in showing it. Besides, he didn’t want to wake her by moving suddenly.

It had taken a long time for her to get to sleep, with so many questions in her mind that she had to voice. Dean had answered as best he could but he knew she still had more to ask. There was a good chance she’d only fallen asleep through sheer exhaustion rather than any actual attempt. But right then, she looked so peaceful, he didn’t want to move.

His face was inches from hers - he dared to press a little closer, feeling the warmth of her skin against his. He could see every line on her face, every perfect flaw, and the way her mouth curved up a little in her sleep. She had her arms curled underneath her head, nothing covering her except for the fabric over her breasts. 

It wasn’t like it got cold down here. 

Her tail quivered underneath his and he tried to ignore the pleasurable sensation that traveled the length of his body.

It was becoming harder and harder to deny the truth right in front of him. On the way home yesterday, when he’d caught up with his little brother, he’d asked him what it felt like to meet Jess. Sam, almost dreamily, recounted the moment he’d realized Jess was his mate.

_“Something clicked. I knew she was mine. There wasn’t any other way to describe it. I’d been me for so long, but with her, I was more.”_

Dean recognized that he was feeling those exact emotions toward Y/N. He’d been the one to find her, to rescue her, for lack of a better term - he had no doubt that if he phrased it as a rescue, she’d probably hit him. She was fierce and strong, brave as hell. She’d left her life behind with no question, needing to know what and who she was. 

If he didn’t find that attractive, he’d worried something was wrong with him.

Now all he needed to do was tell her. Tell her that he wanted her. That he was hers if she wanted him, which according to Sam, she did.

And he needed to tell her about the parchment Garth had given him. Sam had spoken to the younger merman before coming to find him, asking him to search through the archives. The parchment had been difficult to locate but there wasn’t anything Garth couldn’t dig up.

The parchment held the secret to who Y/N’s mother had been. Where her pod was.

Dean knew he had to tell her. He was just worried he wouldn’t like the answers to her questions.

Waking up underwater was probably one of the weirder experiences she’d gone through. At first, she forgot and choked a little, before her lungs remembered she was a mermaid and that she could breathe water as well as air. 

Noticing a warmth over her lower half, Y/N looked down, seeing Dean’s blue and green scales covering hers almost tenderly as he curled around her. She smiled before following the line of his body up to his face.

His eyes were shut tightly; Y/N acted on a whim, moving forward and pressing her lips to his softly. He woke immediately, if he’d even been asleep in the first place, and she pulled back, wondering if he’d be annoyed with her.

“Don’t stop,” he whispered and she smiled again, shifting closer to him on the soft coral. His arm moved around her waist, his tail tightening around hers as she deepened the kiss. When it finished, and he pulled back to look down at her, Y/N felt a warmth in her belly that hadn’t been there before with anyone.

“That was…”

“Amazing,” Dean finished, nuzzling his nose into her cheek. “I guess Sam was right.”

She kept her voice low, suddenly frightened about the things Jess had told her the day before. “About what?”

“I’m yours,” he promised, kissing her again. “If you want me.” She didn’t answer, too overwhelmed to do anything but stare at him. His expression twisted with concern and he pulled back, pushing her hair back behind her ear. “I think I was meant to find you. Sam said when he met Jess… something fell into place.” He sighed, smiling with a small shake of his head. “I know it’s stupid, you’ve only just gotten here and you’ve not had time and…”

She kissed him again, quick and harsh. “Dean,” she panted, barely breaking away, “shut up." 

The next kiss was long and almost desperate, both of them easily losing themselves. He rolled her onto her back, his tail rubbing against her, causing an intensely pleasurable feeling that she had no way to describe. She wanted him - every fiber in her being was screaming for him.

"Y/N.” Dean panted heavily, his hands pulling her as close as he could. “This…” He blinked, shaking his head as he tried to form words. “You’re intoxicating.”

Y/N smiled, her hand moving through his hair, watching it sway in the slightest movement of the water. Bubbles escaped where he’d been laying on his side, and she giggled, noticing her smooth fingers. “Why don’t my fingers wrinkle?”

Dean frowned, confused by the abrupt subject change. “Huh?”

“Whenever I had a bath at home, if I was in it too long, my fingers wrinkled.”

He gaped at her, unsure how to answer. “That’s… a very different subject than the one we were on.”

“Sorry,” she whispered sheepishly. “I guess it popped into my head and I had to say it before I forgot.”

“You’re adorable,” he laughed. Y/N slapped his chest and he pushed up off of her, chuckling as she sat up a little awkwardly.

“Your skin is different in this form. I guess that’s something to do with it.” Dean waved his hand, moving over to a chest on a small ledge across the room. His fingers ghosted over it lightly, as if he was deciding something. “You’d be better off asking Sam that question. He’s the brains.”

Y/N watched him, admiring the way his muscles rippled under the skin of his back, and she suddenly imagined what his ass might look like when he was human. It was difficult to judge a butt when someone had a tail.

“I have something I need to show you,” he said hesitantly before turning around holding the parchment that Garth had given him the night before. “Sam looked into this. And we found out some… stuff.”

“About?” She eyed him carefully, waiting for whatever he’d found. She had wanted to ask about the parchment last night but she was so caught up talking to him that she’d forgotten.

“Your mother,” Dean informed her quietly, moving over towards her, his tail twitching nervously as he leaned on the coral bed next to her. He held the parchment out to her and she took it, unrolling it slowly. “Her name, it was Sara, right?”

“Yeah,” she whispered, looking at the unfamiliar writing. “I can’t read this.”

His fingers danced around the edge of the parchment. “We keep records of every birth and death,” he explained, gesturing to one of the lines on the sheet. “ Everything gets recorded, to keep our history for future pods. This is your mom’s last mention. She was recorded as missing three years before you were born. When she died… her brother felt it. And it was recorded.”

The information took a moment to process and Y/N realized the implications of what he was saying. “My mom was… this was her pod?”

“It’s _your_ pod, Y/N. You were always supposed to be here. This is your place in the world.”

She stared at the parchment, trying to process what Dean was telling her. The feeling of being where she was supposed to be was hard to ignore, especially when she was around Dean but… but she still had her dad, alone in Talbot. Dean didn’t speak, knowing better than to interrupt her thoughts.

Eventually, she moved off of the bed, swimming slowly around the room, eyes still locked on the parchment as she held it. “What else does it say?” she asked.

“Her parents died ten years ago,” Dean said slowly. “It was only her brother left.” She looked up over at him, his tone of voice giving her another question. 

“You know her brother?”

He nodded, shrugging. “Everyone knows everyone. Crowley is a little… edgier than most. But he’s still part of the pod.”

She breathed in slowly, rolling the parchment back up, seeing no sense in staring at it when she couldn’t read it. “He’s here? Can I meet him?”

Dean nodded again, moving over to her side and taking the parchment back. “Whatever you want, Y/N.” He leaned his forehead against hers; Y/N took the comfort he was offering, sheltering in his arms. “Whatever you want.”


	7. Chapter 7

Y/N couldn’t honestly say what she’d been expecting when Dean said they were going to have breakfast with the rest of the pod. As it turned out, there was plenty of food under the sea that she’d never considered.

Once they were done, Dean informed Sam where they were going, the younger man waving them off with a solemn look. Y/N followed the elder brother back into the caverns, frowning when they moved into a more derelict-looking part, where it seemed not many of their kind chose to reside.

Crowley lived in one of the caves on the furthest side where it was almost pitch black. They kept swimming and Dean slowed, glancing back at her nervously.

“You’ll have to be patient with him,” he warned, taking hold of her hand. “He’s been alone since he lost his mate.” 

“Okay,” she mumbled back, gripping his fingers tightly. Her memories of her mother were few and far between, seeing as she was so young when she died. An uncle had never been mentioned, and who knew how he’d react to the offspring of a forbidden relationship.

Dean called for the other merman when they reached a long corridor with several covered doors. Luminous fish swimming in netted enclosures lit each door, and when a surly-looking male emerged, his hair black and with a tail the color of midnight, Y/N swallowed and tried to hide herself behind Dean. Crowley appeared intimidating, despite being smaller than either Sam or Dean. Of course, he was a lot older - she’d been expecting that.

“What can I do you for, Dean?” Crowley said, his eyes moving to the newcomer, eyebrows lifting in recognition.

“Hey,” Dean chattered nervously. “I brought someone to meet you, this is -”

"Y/N,” the smaller merman interrupted, his voice thick as he looked at her, tilting his head. “My, how you’ve grown.”

“You know me?” she asked, coming out from Dean’s protective shadow. He frowned, almost as if he wanted her to stay where he could shield her.

“I’ve only ever known one mermaid with that color tail,” Crowley said sadly. “And I lost your mother a long time ago.” He moved closer, giving Dean a cursory glance when the other merman stiffened. “I saw you. Once. Before your mother ran inland with that _human _she took up with.” He spat the word like it was poison and Y/N instantly went on the defensive.

“That’s my father you’re talking about.”

She expected him to be angry at her outburst but he only laughed. “You definitely have your mother’s spirit,” he drawled, raising an eyebrow. “She defended him. To the end.” Shaking his head, he moved back, giving them both a wide berth. “I stopped being angry a long time ago for what she did. It was forbidden but she insisted he was hers.”

A frown crossed Y/N’s face; she opened her mouth but quickly found she had nothing to say. Crowley smiled at her, tucking his arms behind his back.

“I’m glad you’ve come home, Y/N. You never deserved to be cut off from the sea. It will always be your home, whether you accept it or not.” His eyes landed on Dean for a brief second before he cleared his throat. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have things to attend to.” He turned, swimming back into his home. 

Y/N looked at Dean, who shifted uncomfortably, tugging her hand as he turned away. “That…wasn’t what I was expecting,” she murmured, following without resistance.

“Crowley’s… damaged. He doesn’t exactly enjoy the company of others.” Dean smiled at her, trying to be reassuring. “You _are _home, Y/N. I know it isn’t Talbot, and you’re not used to it yet but… I hope you’ll at least consider staying after this.”

She chewed on her bottom lip, hesitantly meeting his gaze. “It depends.”

“On what?” he asked, tilting his head in confusion, his hand squeezing her fingers gently.

“If there’s something to stay for.”

Her request hadn’t had the effect she intended. Dean had only given her a bashful smile before changing the subject, asking if he could show her something. She followed him away from the caverns, away from the rest of the pod. He was quiet and Y/N wasn’t sure why, until he stopped abruptly in front of her, his arms padding the water at his side as he waited for her to catch up. With a few long strokes of her tail, she came to a messy stop beside him and looked down at herself, frowning.

“You’ll get the hang of it,” Dean assured her, a small smile playing with the corners of his mouth as he reached over and took her hand. Y/N looked up at him, following his gaze.

Out in front of them, the sandy floor of the ocean dropped away, into a trench, so black that she couldn’t see the bottom. She strained her neck, trying to see what he was directing her to.

“This is the true ocean,” he explained. “Where we are? It’s only a couple miles off shore. We’re still practically inland.” He brought his arm round, trying to encompass the entirety of the blue world in front of them. “Out there is deeper than any of us can remember going. When I was a kid, me and Sam would play with the others, seeing who was brave enough to go deeper than the others.” He smirked. “I always won.”

“I don’t doubt it,” she murmured, wiggling a little closer to him, her hand still held firmly in his. Her fear was irrational - she couldn’t fall, not when she was surrounded by water, but the inky blackness could hide anything.

"Sam got scared once,” Dean hummed, “when I went further than I had before. He was only five or six, and he wasn’t the best at swimming. I was nearly ten and getting… a little ahead of myself.” He sighed, squeezing her hand. “He didn’t think I was going to come back.” She watched the emotion play over his face. “I wish I could give you back your old life, you know.”

Her expression became confused, and Y/N brought her other hand up to hold on to him tightly when he turned. “Why?”

“Because this… to me… it’s home. The sea will _always _be my home.” He finally turned his head, and she was shocked to see such sadness in his green eyes. “And I want so badly for it to be yours, but I know that a piece of you…” He pointed up with one finger. “Will always belong up there.”

Y/N’s mouth set into a thin line as she contemplated his words. “I suppose you’re right,” she whispered. It made her heart clench to admit it, but Dean was right. She would always be drawn back to the world she had known her whole life.

He smiled tightly, threading his hand through her hair, frowning when he encountered the pin Jess had put there yesterday. “She’s already got you into fashions, huh?”

“I guess,” she shrugged. “I was never any good at that. In that world or this one.” The joke lightened the tone a little, and Dean pulled back a little, a playful smile on his face.

“Come on. You need to practice swimming. Wanna see what you’re made of.” He practically dragged her along, dipping down to the ocean floor, kicking sand up in the wake of his tail. Her hand slipped from his as he barrel-rolled, looking back up at her with a wide grin. “Come on, Y/N.”

She scowled mockingly before following his lead, mucking up the roll and catching her elbow on the floor. “Ow!”

Dean laughed; she poked her tongue out, rubbing the sore spot she’d knocked. “Keep trying,” he encouraged.

Looking around, Y/N used her hands to push herself off the floor, swimming directly up towards the surface. Using the flow of the water, she built up momentum, twisting and arching over backward, speeding back down towards Dean. Keeping up the speed, she spun around him, poking at his sides.

“Hey!” He made a grab for her but she darted out of his reach, laughing wildly. “That tickles!”

“I bet.” She swam away, pushing herself, picking up speed. She could almost feel the water parting to allow her passage, and she knew Dean was hot on her literal tail. When she felt his fingers graze the edge of her fin, she flipped, coming around underneath him. Y/N giggled, thinking herself clever until she saw Dean was completely parallel with her; she swam upwards once more.

He kept pace, following her movements until she was practically spinning around each other, breaching the surface at exactly the same time. She gasped, shaking her head at the sudden change in atmosphere, water dripping from her nose. Dean grinned widely, pulling her close as she shivered a little from the air hitting her skin.

“You’re gonna be a pro in no time,” he laughed.

The black sky lit up and lightning crashed across the sky, followed closely by a crack of thunder. Y/N flinched and ducked back under the water, Dean following suit, not letting go of her.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, halting her escape.

“Nothing.” She glanced back up, seeing the storm picking up across the surface of the ocean. Dean frowned.

“It’s just a storm.”

“Louder than usual,” she explained quietly - his face dropped in understanding.

Squeezing her hand, Dean pulled her away from the surface. “Let’s go home, yeah?”

“It’s not really late,” she protested, flinching as another peel of thunder assaulted her ears. It was definitely louder than she remembered and made her skin almost vibrate. Was that normal? She had always been a little wary of storms. “I guess it’s a little less sheltered out here, huh?”

Dean squeezed her arms, placing a soft kiss on her nose. “Yeah. But you couldn’t be anywhere safer. We’re too close to the surface here; back home, you won’t hear it.” He smiled, and she couldn’t help but feel like he was disappointed in something.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, studying his face.

He shrugged before smiling again. “I was… I was planning on showing you… where we go when…” He looked sheepish as he tried to explain it and understanding dawned on her.

“You were gonna…?” She shut her mouth the second she realized what he was implying. “Oh.”

“It’s nothing,” he promised, glancing up as fresh lightning struck the surface. “Damn storm’s just put it off a little.” He took her hand, reinitiating his efforts to guide her away. “Come on. Just cause we can’t do that, doesn’t mean we can’t do something else.” Y/N frowned but followed him without question, back toward the pod. A lot of the others had disappeared, presumably into the caverns, but Dean was right about not being able to hear the storm back here. He kept swimming until they were back in his cave and he pulled her inside, finally releasing her hand. Making her way to the coral bed, Y/N let herself relax across the soft surface.

“I keep thinking…” she started, running her fingers over the coral as she plucked up the courage to be genuinely crude. “I really can’t wait to see your ass.”

“My ass?” Dean arched an eyebrow as he glanced at her from across the room where he was removing his satchel and blade. “I have an ass,” he defended. “Just a bit… scaly at the moment.” He chuckled as she rolled her eyes, reaching for him. With a satisfied sigh, he came closer, pressing the length of his body against hers, their tails already entwined. “I already saw your ass. In those little pajama shorts you were wearing…”

“Hey, I was sick!” she protested weakly, letting him pull her closer, responding fiercely when he kissed her.

“Doesn’t make it any less of a nice ass.” His hands trailed down over her abdomen, teasing at where her skin became rough golden scales. “Not that you don’t have a really nice tail too.”

Her mood sobered as she watched his pale fingers slide over her hip. “Crowley and my dad both said that my mom had the same color. You and Sam are almost the same too. Is it a family thing?” Dean nodded. “So, it’s like eye color?”

“As far as I know. Jess and Charlie have pink and red. I think their mom has a pink tail too. Can’t quite remember what color their dads is.”

“You don’t pay much attention then?” Y/N asked, running a finger down his chest to scratch lightly over one puckered nipple. Dean hissed, pressing against her.

“Only tail I care about is yours,” he whispered. “That’s the way it goes. I don’t pay attention to other colors or other females. I talk to them, I associate with them, but there’s only one female I care about. And that’s you.” He smirked. “For now, anyway.”

She frowned again, pulling her hand away from him. “I thought mermaids,” pausing, she grunted, rolling her eyes at her own slip, “merpeople, sorry. I thought they mate for life?”

“We do.” He kissed her. “Doesn’t mean you won’t have a daughter.”

“Oh.” The word came from her lips in a gasp of realization. “So… you want that?”

“With you, I want everything,” Dean replied, holding her close, one hand around her waist, stroking at the bottom of her back; the other underneath her arm, teasing at the thin top she wore. “And I wish that storm hadn’t rolled in. I want you so much, Y/N. I know you can’t understand it in this form but the things you make me feel…”

“No,” she hushed. “I do understand. It’s friggin’ weird. But I understand.” She laid her hand on his hip, stroking her thumbs over his brilliant green scales. “Just you rubbing me like that… it’s the weirdest thing ever but it’s like I’m… on edge. Everything is more sensitive.” Their bellies pressed together and Y/N whimpered quietly.

Dean pulled at her top, unclipping it at the back. As soon as her breasts were free, he bent his head, kissing one nipple, then the next, all the while stroking along the line of her hips, alternating between skin and scale. She closed her eyes, enjoying all the new feelings, when a question popped into her head that she couldn’t stop herself asking..

“Dean?” He lifted his head, concern in his gaze and she hesitated, unsure if she wanted to know the answer. “Have you… you’ve never…”

He smiled, shaking his head. “But I know what I’m doing.”

Y/N swallowed, staring at him. “Not even with humans?”

His face became serious and he leaned in, brushing his nose against hers, kissing her softly. "We don’t work that way.”

“Gotch,” she whispered, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing,” he ordered before returning his attention to her breasts, the hand that wasn’t palming her tail squeezing the fullness of the twin mounds. His tongue twisted and manipulated her nipples into solid little peaks, dragging blunt teeth across them. All Y/N could hear was her own moans and whimpers, her fingers clutching at his shoulders desperately. She wasn’t even sure she could have an orgasm like this but Dean seemed determined to find out.

“Dean…” She keened his name, feeling something curl and then unfold in her belly with an alarming speed.

“Just let go, baby,” he urged, his bottom half rubbing against her. She obeyed, her body shuddering and convulsing in his grasp, his hands holding her fast until she stopped.

Exhaling hard, Y/N closed her eyes, laying back on the coral. “That was…”

He smirked, running one finger down her bare chest. “See, I said I knew what I was doing.”

Blinking up at him, she caught his hand, kissing his fingertip. “But how, if you’ve never…”

“I do go up to the surface,” he chastised. “And as it happens, that’s something only our species can do.” He sat up, tugging his fingers from her hand and placing them on the strip of gold scales that mixed with the red. She hissed at the sensitivity, biting her bottom lip. “You’re receptive to me,” he purred, dragging one fingertip over her scales.

She understood perfectly what he meant by that but when she went to answer, a yawn took her by surprise. “Wow,” she managed. “Sorry.”

“How many times I gotta tell you to stop apologizing?” he laughed. “Get a nap. I gotta go see Sam anyways. I’ll be back soon.” He clipped her top back into place before placing a soft kiss on her lips. Y/N smiled dreamily, letting herself relax as Dean swam out of the cave, her last thought lingering on the strange but definitely good feelings he’d managed to invoke in her with a simple touch.


	8. Chapter 8

Dean swam through the caverns until he came to Sam and Jess’ cave, calling out for his brother. Sam was quick to appear, and he looked concerned with his brother’s sudden arrival. “What’s wrong?”

“You gotta help me,” Dean grunted, glancing around before stuffing his brother back through the rock archway so they had some privacy.

“With what?” Sam seemed a little panicked by the action, checking the other male over for injuries.

Dean wrung his hands together then scratched at his head, clearly uncomfortable. “Y/N and I… we were… so I was gonna take her to the cove but there was a storm. And I don’t know what to do.” He looked so terrified that Sam had to pause for a moment before laughing, instantly making Dean scowl. “Seriously, dude? You’re gonna laugh at me?”

“Of course I am. Dean, my _big _brother, at a loss because of a female. You gotta admit, it’s gonna be funny. You were always the better swimmer, the better… everything.” Sam smirked at him in disbelief. “Do you know how many females would kill to have you choose them?”

Rolling his eyes, Dean folded his arms across his chest. “Except it doesn’t work that way. You’ve done this, Sam. You’ve been with Jess so long. I’m running blind here.”

“Have you tried, I dunno, talking to her?” Sam kept grinning in amusement, folding his arms over his muscular chest; Dean scowled even harder.

“Of course. I tried to tell her I was going to do but then I just did it…”

“Too much information,” Sam cut him off, making a face of disgust at his sibling. “I don’t need to know the ins and outs.”

His big brother looked to be at a loss. “I think I do though, dude.”

Sam looked skeptical. “I’ve seen some of the stuff you’ve looked at up there, Dean. Busty Asian Beauties? Really?”

“That stuff isn’t like the real thing though, Sam. And it’s not like I can go testing it out on other human girls. The thought of it makes me feel sick.” Silence stretched between them as Dean scrubbed a hand through his hair, his thoughts drifting back to Y/N, asleep in his home. “What if I do it wrong?”

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Sam said with a sigh. “Look, when me and Jess went to the island, it took time. She was nervous, I was nervous… it’s difficult enough your first time but when you have to go through physical changes, it makes it a little harder. I can’t imagine it’s going to be any easier for Y/N. But she’s had that body a long time, Dean. Maybe you should… let her take charge? She’ll tell you what feels good, what doesn’t. You’re kinda lucky in that respect.”

Dean contemplated his words for a moment before nodding. “I’m really glad you’re the smart one, Sammy,” he grumbled, leaning against the wall.

“I’m not gonna let you forget this, you know,” his brother warned and he nodded in response.

“Yeah, yeah,” Dean chuckled then smiled widely. “Hey man, sorry I annoyed you. You weren’t busy?”

Sam shook his head. “No. Was just getting some things ready to spent a night in the archives. Can I suggest one thing though? Get some food to take with you. You might spend longer there than you think.” His eyebrows were raised as he spoke, and Dean made a face, understanding what his brother was implying.

“Right,” he nodded sharply, propelling himself toward the door. “Thanks again, Sam.” He turned, swimming away, leaving the caverns. 

If he needed to make sure there was food, then he had a quick trip to make first.

The nap was brief but satisfying, and Y/N noticed immediately that Dean hadn’t come back to the cave. Sitting up, she adjusted her top, making sure nothing was showing before leaving the room and the caverns, heading out past the other mermaids and mermen in the pod. Some of them smiled at her and waved; she returned the gesture, feeling a little more accepted by them than she had when she first arrived.

Spotting Charlie up ahead, talking to a mermaid with a similar colored tail to Jess, Y/N swam over, calling her name. The redhead turned, waving at her.

“Y/N! Hey!” She gripped her arm as Y/N reached her side, gesturing to the older female. “This is my mom. And Jess’ mom, obviously.”

“Oh, I’ve heard so much about you,” the other mermaid said, beaming at her. Y/N smiled back, a little nervous as the older woman took her hand. “I’m Clara. You are very welcome.”

Nerves made her reply very squeaky so she kept it to one word. “Hi.”

“I hear you’re from our pod?” Y/N blinked in surprise, making both Clara and Charlie smile. “I’m sure you’ve found out by now that word travels fast round here,” Clara laughed, and Y/N noticed she had the same pleasant laugh as her daughters. “I can’t believe you’re Crowley’s niece. That grumpy old thing.” She reached out, squeezing Y/N’s shoulder. “It’s so _good _you found your way home. I was sorry to hear about your mother. I knew her when she was with us. Very adventurous young thing. I wasn’t surprised when she left." 

Y/N nodded, sensing no hostility from the other female but still feeling something of a sting in her chest at the mention of her mom. 

"Sometimes this sea isn’t big enough for some of us,” Clara concluded, sighing. “Just how we’re built.” She smiled again, touching Y/N’s forearm briefly before pulling away, glancing at her daughter. “Anyway, I must get going. Your father will be back from hunting soon and he’ll want me to sort out whatever it is he brings back. I just hope it isn’t octopus again.” She made a face and Charlie laughed. “I’ll see you later, sweetheart. Lovely to meet you, Y/N.”

Clara moved away, leaving the two young women alone. Y/N turned to the other mermaid, one eyebrow raised.

“Octopus?” she parroted, deciding not to tackle the sheer panic from how quickly Clara had spoken.

“She hates the things,” Charlie explained. “We’ve all got our particular tastes. Listen, I’m sorry, Mom is a little -”

Holding up a hand, Y/N cut her off, not wishing to speak about it. “So…” she started, changing the subject. “Fish. That’s the main food round here, I’m guessing? Dean gave me some kind of fruit this morning…”

Charlie nodded. “There’s plenty of other choices though, seeing as you can eat pretty much anything. Good thing about swimming around,” she swirled her tail, “is that you get a damn good metabolism. Not many overweight merpeople around, I can tell you that.” She brightened, as if only just noticing Y/N was alone. “Oh, hey! Dean isn’t with you. Have you guys… you know?” Y/N raised her eyebrows and Charlie blushed. “Has he taken you to the cove?”

“The cove?” she repeated, shaking her head. “He mentioned a place but there was a storm so we came back down here.”

Giggling, Charlie slung an arm around Y/N’s shoulders. “Oh, you’re in for a treat. That’s mostly where the girls and guys go for, you know, a little motion in the ocean?” She paused, giving Y/N a pointed look. “Except on land, cos you can’t exactly have sex with a great big tail in the way. I’m making you uncomfortable, aren’t I?" 

A smile spread across her lips with amusement at Charlie’s babbling. "No, I promise,” she laughed. “We talked about… that stuff. He’s definitely hands on.”

"Ohhhh. So he’s already demonstrated that most mermen have an oral fixation?” The redhead grinned. “Not that I can point fingers. I’ve got it pretty bad myself.”

The logistics of regular heterosexual sex between two mermaids was perplexing enough - Y/N didn’t want to try and figure out homosexual romance, so she kept her questions to herself, feeling her cheeks heat up. “Yeah, he’s… fixated, that’s for sure. I didn’t even think that…” Words failed her, and she bailed. “_That _was possible.”

“Just remember, when we’re like this, things are a little more sensitive up top,” Charlie winked. “ Even for the boys. I gotta run anyway. Need to pick up the little horror from school. See if she’s mastered those backflips yet.” She smiled, giving Y/N a quick hug before flitting off. Y/N remained where she was, wondering what to do or where to go. Without anyone around that she knew, she felt a little lost.

“So, how are you finding everything?”

A voice made her turn, seeing Crowley swimming up behind her. “Oh,” she forced a friendly smile onto her face. “Hi.”

He gave her a tight smile. “You look a little bewildered.”

“Still getting the hang of this, I suppose.” Gesturing to herself, Y/N shrugged, unsure of what else to say.

"You’ll pick it up. You were born for it, after all,” he sighed. “I only wish your mother had brought you home. For one, she’d still be alive. And you wouldn’t be confronted with this all at once.” Looking around, he frowned. “Where’s that merman you were with… Dean?”

Y/N gave him a stern look. “He’s running some errands.”

“He’s one of the outgoing guards,” Crowley mused. “I’ve seen him around. His father was a livewire and I’ve heard tell he’s the same. Spending time up there…”

“There’s nothing wrong with up there,” she defended, snapping at him. “And Dean is… sweet.”

“Oh. So he’s your intended,” her uncle chuckled, sussing it out quickly. “I thought as much with how protective he was of you. Bet you weren’t expecting that.”

“Not really,” she replied haughtily, a little insulted by his attitude. “But it isn’t a bad choice.”

“That’s the only problem. It’s not a choice,” Crowley sounded a little bitter, “and sometimes you don’t even get to -” He stopped, a pained look on his face before it returned to his usual steely expression. “Just be careful. You may not know me from any other damn fish down here but I don’t want what happened to your mother to happen to you.”

“I’m being careful.” She stared him down, wondering what else had happened to him to make him so grouchy. She remembered Dean saying that he’d lost his mate - maybe that was what made him so withdrawn and sour.

“Here comes your guppy now,” he drawled, pointing behind her. Turning and seeing Dean swimming back, Y/N felt a little relief. He was parting ways from a group of mermen, all carrying one-piece canvas bags like him. “Like I said, Y/N - be careful.” Crowley swam off, not even giving Dean a cursory glance as the blue tailed merman approached, his blue-green tail flicking anxiously.

“What was that about?” he asked, coming up close to her side, watching Crowley’s retreating form.

“He’s paranoid as hell. What on earth happened to him?”

Dean shrugged. “He never told anyone. All we know is that he lost his mate, er, damn, her name escapes me. I was pretty young.” He watched Crowley disappear into the rocks. “But he wasn’t the same afterwards.”

“Poor guy,” she whispered, noticing Dean’s bag was full to bursting. “What’s in there?”

“Went hunting,” he said. “I didn’t find anything that I wanted to introduce you to straight away, so I had to go a little further afield.”

“You’ve been gone for ages,” she commented, as he handed the bag to her. Opening it, she found a collection of mussels, prawns and… chocolate bars in sealed bags. “You went to the surface?” she exclaimed, a little shocked.

Dean went red. “I wanted to get you something nice. And I know you’re gonna have to get used to the diet down here but human food is… and I’ll admit it freely - so much better. For one, they can cook stuff properly and not over a hot vent.” He smiled when she pulled out a Hershey’s bar, turning it over in her hands. “We reuse all the plastic baggies and make sure they’re contained, don’t worry. If anyone is big on recycling, it’s us.”

"So,” she started shoving the bar back in the bag and looking at him with a raised eyebrow. “Are we gonna go to the cove?” He stared at her, open mouthed. "Charlie told me.”

“Oh.” He nodded, scratching the back of his head nervously, laughing a little. “Yeah. That’s the plan. Storm passed inland. I wanted… if you wanted… I mean…”

“God, you’re cute when you trip all over your words,” she sighed, draping her arms around his shoulders. “Anyone would think you were nervous, Dean.” He blushed, avoiding her gaze and she stared at him. “You are? After this morning… afternoon’s little display?” She lowered her voice. “Jeez, Dean, you made me cum by barely touching me.”

Naturally, Dean’s chest puffed up with pride. “I’m glad. I was… a little worried.”

“Because you’ve never been with anyone like this?” He nodded and she felt guilty almost immediately. Dean seemed to pick up on the abrupt change of mood and frowned.

“You have though,” he deduced, his eyes darkening; Y/N looked away.

“I didn’t know,” she whispered, feeling like it was a worthless excuse. Dean nodded, his jaw tense, and she could tell it hurt him a little. “I’m sorry, I really am. If I’d known… if it makes you feel better, I now know why I never bothered with boyfriends. There wasn’t really any appeal…”

“That’s because they weren’t me,” he growled, a hint of anger and possessiveness in his voice as he pulled her close. “Come on.” His fingers curled around her wrist. “We need to go.”

“Why? What, now? The cove?”

He nodded, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “We have to.”

“Why right now?” she asked, panicking.

“Because if I don’t make you mine soon, I might lose control here and now.” The words fell from his lips with a honeyed growl and Y/N shuddered, simply nodding in reply and allowing him to pull her away from the rest of the pod.


	9. Chapter 9

The cove wasn’t far out from the coast or the caverns. It was a tiny island between two large rock formations, a few trees scattered around the middle with one thick copse at the furthest end, around a little horseshoe beach. Dean took the lead, surprising her when he bypassed the beach entirely, ducking down deeper into the water.

“Aren’t we going to the beach?”

He flashed her a grin at the question. “Just wait.”

Deep under the little island, a wide mouth was carved into the ground; Dean swam through, looking back to check she was still behind him. She kept pace, catching up to swim beside him, unsure where to look. There were luminous plants she hadn’t seen at the caverns, spindly glowing pink vines, lighting their path.

“What is this place?” she asked, glancing at him. Reaching out, he took her hand, leading her on.

The wide chasm in the rock became smaller until it was only a few meters across, opening into a pool. They breached the surface together; Y/N gasped, shaking the water off her face as she looked up. Rock walls encrusted with crystal greeted her, some sort of natural quartz cavern with a passage leading out onto the beach. Sand covered the floor, creating a path and comfortable area around the pool.

It was the furniture that surprised her the most.

Dean swam to the edge of the pool, hoisting himself half out of the water, arms bulging with the effort. With a grunt, he reached over to a basket, pulling a couple of dog-eared towels free.

“Is this the cove?” she asked, looking up to see various cracks in the top that let through beams of sunlight. It wasn’t as bright as it would be outside but it was clear enough to see everything, the dim light almost romantic.

“Yeah. What do you think?”

“It’s cozy,” she murmured, swimming over to the side, attempting to pull herself up and failing. “Maybe a little… public?”

Dean laughed under his breath, moving to float behind her, his hands on her waist. “This place is only used for, I guess, the first time? It’s kinda ceremonial.” He lifted, helping her up over the edge of the moss-covered rock until she could twist and plant her butt on the ground. “Most couples find their own places. Beaches, other islands.” Grinning, he leaned on her tail as she kept flicking it in the water, his arms spread either side of what she supposed was her thighs. “We can find somewhere else we like.”

"This place is pretty amazing,” she said, looking around. “Could use a tv.”

Chuckling, Dean hooked his bag from his shoulders and tossed it across the floor. On the furthest side of the cave, there was a rock bed, covered with old blankets and cushions. “We scavenge a lot of stuff. Goodwill stores, old garages.”

“What about money?”

Dean shrugged, grabbing one of the towels and handing it to her. “We get things. One of the guys in the pod has a cash-in-hand job helping the local fishermen on the weekends. Plus, you’d be amazed the amount of treasure still laying around down here.”

“You’re serious. Full on _The Little Mermaid _treasure hauling?”

His answer laugh was loud, bouncing off of the walls of the cavern. “No big statues of handsome hunks but, yeah. We find a lot of stuff.” Tapping her tail, Dean grinned at her. “Lift up.”

She frowned, doing as he asked. An instant tingle started in her fins, climbing up her scales until they seemed to shimmer with an ethereal glow. Y/N gasped when the change finally took over, trying to ignore the queasiness in her belly. It hadn’t been so jarring before.

“You okay?” Dean asked, looking up at her where he leaned on the edge.

“Yeah. This list of things to get used to is getting longer every minute.” she joked, stretching out her bare legs and wiggling her toes. 

Dean cleared his throat, handing her the towel where she’d dropped it. Belatedly, she realized that along with her legs returning, she was naked from the waist down. A heat covered her face and Dean averted his eyes, behaving like a gentleman. She scrambled to her feet, wobbling a bit after having a tail for a few days. Grabbing the towel, she wrapped it around her waist, concealing herself. “I’m clear,” she announced bashfully, picking up the second towel. “Do you need a hand getting out?”

“No, I’m good,” Dean replied; she dropped the towel at the edge of the pool, within his reach when he got out. Before he could pull himself from the water, he smiled up at her. “Go explore,” he urged. “I’ll catch up.”

She nodded, turning toward the cavern entrance. Outside was bright, forcing her to shield her eyes as they adjusted, and her feet didn’t make a sound when she stepped onto the thicker sand. The trees were thick on one side, giving her a view of the ocean lapping at the beach a few meters away.

It looked like paradise.

Hands landed on her hips as she stars and she turned in surprise, coming face to face with Dean. He’d mimicked her and wrapped the towel around his waist, his large feet sticking out of the bottom of it. She smiled, standing on tiptoes to kiss him.

“You’re really tall,” she whispered and he chuckled.

“I guess I don’t really notice it. It doesn’t come up much down there.” He pressed his chest to hers, droplets of water still clinging to him as he bent his head, stopping her from having to reach up. His lips caressed hers softly and she moaned into him, enjoying how warm and gentle he was, despite being an actual giant on land.

Doubt assaulted her mind then, her fears about not being good enough invading her calm demeanor. “Dean…”

“Yeah?” His reply was languid and she smiled.

“Are you sure it’s me?” She had to ask. If this thing really was for life… she didn’t want him to end up with someone who wasn’t worthy of what he had to give.

“I’m sure. I’m more than sure.” Dean looked into her eyes, cupping her face as he stared at her; she found herself practically drowning in the green depths, the color slightly dimmer outside of the water. “I spent the last few days worrying I wasn’t good enough for you.”

“Was worrying about the same thing,” she whispered, backtracking when she realized how that sounded. “Me for you, that is.” She giggled. “Sorry.”

“You keep apologizing.” He smirked, pulling her back into the cave. “Something you’re gonna have to work on.”

“Sorry.”

His fingers replied for him this time, tickling at her sides, until she darted away and jumped onto the pile of blankets. Dean pounced, landing on all fours over her, indulging in her mouth once more, swallowing down every keening sound she made.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. “With legs and without. I can’t believe my luck.”

“Have you seen you?” she asked, a little stunned. “You’re like… male model good looking. More like my luck.”

He laughed at that, shaking his head. “There’s an element of magic to our species. Y’know, luring men to their death and all.”

“Wait,” she pushed up, staring at him in shock, “is that actually a thing?”

Dean couldn’t hold it, breaking out into more stomach-wrenching laughter. “God, no. Maybe a few hundred years ago but now? Now we’re just pretty for no reason.”

“Maybe because I’m half-human, that’s why I’m not _as _pretty?” Y/N mused.

The look he gave her was dryer than the sand on her ass. “We’ll have to agree to disagree,” he grunted when she smiled innocently.

She scowled at him and pushed him onto his back, straddling him somewhat awkwardly with the towel around her middle, grunting in frustration when she couldn’t do what she wanted. “I don’t know if the phrase “ripping off a bandaid” is familiar to you,” Dean’s brow dipped at that, and she assumed he didn’t, ‘but I’m gonna employ it right now.“ 

Reaching around her back, she took a breath and unclipped her top, tossing it to the floor. Her fingers grabbed for her towel, tearing it off, quickly doing the same to his. Dean hissed at the sudden exposure before groaning deeply when she pressed against him. Her eyes widened at the sight of his fully naked body, legs and… all.

"Wow.”

“What?” he asked, smirking with awareness of what she was wowwing at.

She licked her lips, shrugging as she attempted to not look down. “Nothing. Just… wasn’t expecting…”

“What?” Dean repeated, looking down. “Something wrong with it?” He wiggled his eyebrows; Y/N slapped at his chest before he grabbed her, rolling her underneath him. “Can I admit I had to go to my baby brother for advice with this?”

“What did he tell you?” she panted, feeling his cock bouncing against her thigh.

“Told me to do what feels right.” He rolled his hips, sliding his length against her bare cunt. “This feels pretty fucking right.”

The next kiss took her breath away and when they parted, she stared up at him in awe. "You cursed.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m naked, literally between your thighs, and you pick up on me swearing?”

“I haven’t heard you curse!” She gasped when he moved again, letting her feel the full weight and girth of his cock against her wet slit. "Okay, point taken,” she moaned, “literally.”

Dean laughed at the quip; Y/N rolled her hips up into him, allowing his length to graze along her already wet slit again. “Ungh.” He grunted, facial features twisting in pleasure and his automatic reaction to rut against her. “I don’t think… I know there’s other stuff we can do, but right now… all I can think is that I want to be inside you. I want you to be mine, Y/N.”

“I wanna be yours,” she breathed, closing her eyes as he continued to press into her, so close to entering her. He was teasing now. “Please, Dean. I don’t wanna wait.”

Without speaking, he leaned down, kissing her hard as he slid home, his cock thicker than she’d expected, stretching her walls with a delicious burn. He stopped as he bottomed out, her pelvis flush with his, and a sound of contentment escaped his throat. “You’re perfect,” he praised quietly with his forehead pressed to hers. “I knew it. I knew you were mine. The second I saw you…”

She nodded, unable to form coherent words as he started to move. Despite the knowledge that he’d never done this with anyone, it was clear he knew what to do. His movements were fluid and he took his time, pulling almost all the way out before easing back in, keeping their bodies close together. Every time he moved, it was a sensation of fireworks in her belly, and she suddenly knew exactly what real lovemaking was and it was nothing like she’d experienced before.

Because the whole time she was meant for Dean.

“Oh god.” She clutched at him, not sure whether to scream in pleasure or cry with happiness. Dean didn’t speak, his hands holding onto her, his chest rubbing against hers, her nipples hard and aching. He lowered his mouth, catching one hard peak, sucking it before teasing his tongue around her swollen areola.

“Y/N…” he whispered as he released her breast, his cock swelling and pulsing inside her. She cried out, spiralling over the edge into bliss, her mind practically whiting out as they came together, his seed hot and thick in her belly.

When both of them came down from the high, they kissed, long and slow, neither of them willing to leave the other.

“That,” she started, as he rolled onto his side, his softening cock slipping from her. “I… that was…” The words wouldn’t go together properly and Dean chuckled.

“Yeah.” He grinned, raising his arm to put it under his head, the other pulling her close to lay on her chest. “Pretty good. Next time will be even better. Longer.”

“Well, it was your first time,” she pointed out, a little more comfortable with teasing him about it now it was done.

“Not my fault you’re intoxicating,” he replied, squeezing her shoulder. “And I’ve got so many more things in mind for the next few hours…”


	10. Chapter 10

She woke before Dean did, not moving right away. From her position curled into his side, his arm around her shoulders, holding her close even in slumber, she could hear his soft snores, and it was easy to draw a comparison from when he’d slept at her side the previous times. When they were underwater, he didn’t snore at all. Y/N wasn’t sure if it was possible to snore under the sea anyway.

With a growl, her stomach alerted her to her hunger, and she reluctantly pulled herself from Dean’s grip, smiling as he grumbled, his arm slipping over his stomach as he frowned in his sleep and rolled onto his back. Leaving his side, she searched out the bag of supplies and located the small trove of goodies he’d found. Alongside the chocolate, he’d brought potato chips and some other little snack items. Seizing a bag of chips, Y/N opened them, biting down on the first one with relish.

Standing, chips in hand, she stretched her legs, not really caring for her nudity. It wasn’t like anyone else was here to see her. She scrunched her toes in the sandy rock at her feet, working out all the kinks from sleeping on such a hard surface, despite the blankets. Her neck cracked when she worked out the tension, and as she looked up, she spotted the sky through the holes in the cavern roof. It was pitch black, with the slightest twinkle of stars.

Intent on staring, Y/N smiled, feeling more content than she’d ever been in her life. She’d found a part of herself she’d never known she’d been longing for, it just hadn’t quite clicked until she had discovered what it was between her and Dean.

The connection was so intense, she could feel it in her bones.

“The sky is brilliant from outside.” Dean’s voice made her jump, and she turned, seeing him stood in all his glorious nakedness. “You were hungry?”

“A little,” she replied, looking down at the almost empty bag of chips. “A lot." 

Dean grinned, picking up the bag and taking his seat back on the blankets, where she joined him, curling into his side. He pulled out a bar of chocolate and unwrapped it, breaking off a piece to hand to her.

"You snore,” she commented, a smile on her face as she took the offered candy.

“I do?” He shrugged. “We can’t all be perfect like you.”

“Cheesy,” her grin widened, “and I’m not perfect. Not by a long shot.”

“You are to me,” he assured her, popping a square of chocolate into his mouth and giving her a look that was so full of adoration it took her breath away. No one had ever looked at her like that before; Y/N ducked her head, shoving the chocolate onto her tongue before she said something really dumb. 

He watched her, shoving the chocolate bar back into the bag and returning it to the floor. Moving, he leaned in, a smile blossoming on his lips.

“Lay down,” he ordered softly and she nodded mutely, scooting back on the blanket to lay flat as he crawled over her. His mouth crashed into hers and he slipped his tongue between her lips, the taste of chocolate infusing with his unique flavor. “Chocolate’s nice,” he purred, “but I bet you taste nicer.”

He slid down her body, his hands nudging her thighs apart as she shivered in anticipation. The first touch of his fingers on her labia made her jump, but she relaxed almost immediately after, his gentle, warm skin gliding over hers. His tongue darted out to tentatively touch her most intimate parts and she moaned, closing her eyes, reaching down to thread her fingers through his hair. Dean’s eyes fluttered shut for a moment when she tugged gently on his short locks, before they snapped open, looking up at her with blown pupils.

Almost immediately, he pushed his tongue against her, his hands pushing her thighs wider, sliding down to grab her ankles and place her feet flat on the blankets. It forced her to place her hands at her sides to keep her balance, her disappointment wiped out when Dean’s mouth covered her clit, sucking hard.

His tongue pushed into her, lapping at her entrance with an eagerness she didn’t know was possible. With two fingers, he opened her up, using his thumb to stimulate her clit, keeping a steady pace as he fucked his tongue into her. Her thighs quivered as she groaned, chest heaving with her desperate panting.

“You taste like nothing I’ve ever had before,” he whispered, pulling out to kiss her mound softly. Y/N bit her lip, moaning loudly to let him know that he was doing _everything _right. He grinned, thrusting his tongue into her again, his vigorous teasing of her clit sending her cascading into ecstasy. Dean didn’t stop tonguefucking her, tasting everything she had to give before he abruptly moved up her body and lined his now hard cock up with her fluttering pussy.

Watching her come apart on the blankets, still riding the waves, he slid his cock home, closing his eyes and groaning in bliss as the move prolonged her orgasm and her walls spasmed around him. She was wet enough that every thrust made obscene sucking noises and Dean pushed her thighs up to get a deeper angle.

“Dean…” Y/N gasped, curling her fingers into the covers. “Fuck… I can’t…”

“Don’t hold on, baby,” he growled, slamming into her harder with every stroke. “I want you to cum. Again and again.” He grunted, punctuating each word with a thrust, his hips hitting her ass over and over. She screamed as she stopped holding back, letting the pleasure overwhelm her until she was sure the blanket beneath her was soaked.

Dying right then would be heaven.

Dean’s grip on her loosened and he threw his head back, a strange primal noise spilling from his throat. His hips crushed into her, his cum filling her to the point it was spilling out the sides as he fucked her through his orgasm.

Y/N reached for him as he finished, pulling him down into a deep kiss, tasting the sweet chocolate on his tongue, mixed with her taste and salt. Releasing him with a pleasure-filled groan, she let him withdraw and collapse next to her.

“You’re astounding, you know that?” he whispered, still breathing heavily.

“I didn’t exactly do a lot then,” she admitted with a giggle, rolling onto her side and feeling the ache in her legs where he’d had them held aloft. “You were doing all the work.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Dean dismissed. “You’re still pretty damn amazing.”

His gaze was on the cavern roof; Y/N followed it, seeing the stars twinkling, the moonlight making patterns on the pool at the far end of the cavern.

“I wanna go outside and watch the stars for a while,” she said quietly and Dean smiled.

“We can do that.”

Without the city lights, the sky was more than just black. The stars stretched from horizon to horizon, gathering in clumps and swirls that her vision picked up much more accurately now. They hadn’t spent long on the beach - Dean’s longing for the water had him diving off the rocks, challenging Y/N to do the same.

She followed with a little less bravado and a little more splash, gasping when she came back up. Dean laughed, circling her. “You’ll get used to your new lungs,” he promised.

“It’s on the list,” she muttered, smirking before diving back under the surface, enticing him into a chase.

He caught up easily, tackling her hard enough to send them tumbling through the water. She squeaked, escaping his hold and speeding up to the beach, landing on the sand on her back, giggling as the waves rushed over her.

A second later, Dean was next to her, slapping the thick fin of his tail against the watery san. “Is it acceptable,” she murmured, lifting up onto his elbows, “if I wanted to say your tail was really pretty?”

Laughing, he leaned back, letting his tail rest in the surf. “I’ll let you get away with it. Anyone else calls me pretty, I’ll -”

“Blow bubbles at them?”

“You’re funny. I can punch, you know.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow. “Have you ever even been in a fight?”

He nodded, rolling his head towards her. “Once. Rival from another pod. We never got on. Heard he got himself mated and settled down though. Which is good for him, cause I would have kicked his ass to the Indian Ocean.” She giggled, snuggling into Dean’s side and looking up at the clear sky. “What’s so funny?”

“I couldn’t imagine you being like that,” she admitted.

He sighed, sliding his arm around her shoulders, kissing the top of her head. "I have to be. My job isn’t like the others. There’s only a few of us. Trained to deal with any dangers to the pod. Round here, there isn’t much to contend with, but out in the open sea… we have predators just like any other creature.” He pulled her closer. “We aren’t top of the food chain like humans.”

She wasn’t sure how to respond to that, allowing him to hold her against his chest. The only sounds she could hear now were his heartbeat and the sound of the waves lapping gently around them. Dean’s tail moved languidly through the water, making little ripples of his own, and Y/N suddenly had an urge she couldn’t ignore.

Slapping a hand onto his chest, she pushed herself up, dragging herself away from the water. “Come on,” she called, wincing as the change took over, leaving her stumbling onto the sand. The sight of her bare ass in the moonlight made him stutter before he regained his composure.

“Why?” he asked, following despite his question.

"Because I want to do something,” she paused. “Unless… you’re a fraidy cat.” He cocked his head to the side, scowling before he pulled the rest of his body from the water. Within minutes and with the aid of the sand, his tail dried off and his legs reformed, along with the rest of him.

It was her turn to be distracted.

“What are you up to?” he asked, a twinkle in his eye when her head jerked up, attention back on his face.

“Well, you tasted me,” she whispered, walking backward into the cave. Dean followed, already hard. Stopping by the bed, she patted the covers, indicating that she wanted him to sit down. “I wanna taste you.” His eyebrows shot up, his cock twitching with interest; he darted to the bed, laying flat with his hands behind his head. “Eager,” she commented.

“I’m not objecting.” Smirking like the cat who got the cream, he watched as she settled between his thighs, balancing on the edge of the bed. She wrapped her hand around his dick, stroking him from root to tip - the action wiped the smile off his face, leaving only bliss in its wake. He groaned, long and deep and Y/N gave a smug little smile at the drop of precum weeping from the tip. His eyes opened to focus on her, hazy and full of need. “You like being on top, huh?”

“You have no idea,” she whispered, continuing to pump him as she bent down, her legs pinning his knees. Sliding her tongue over the tip of his cock gently, she let only the hint of teeth touch on the tender flesh. Dean’s guttural moan echoed off of the rocks, and she smiled around him before taking him in further. His cock hit the back of her throat but her gag reflex didn’t object; she closed her eyes, focusing on taking as much of him as she could. The wiry feel of his pubic hair on her nose made her forehead wrinkled and she pulled back, running her tongue along the veins on the underside of his shaft, encouraging more filthy noises to spill from his throat. His hands were practically clawing at the covers underneath him and she went down again, deep throating him until his cock bulged her throat.

He tasted like the sea. It wasn’t an unpleasant taste, and she savored every moan when he filled her throat, alternating between opening her eyes to look at his head thrown back in ecstasy, to closing them and relishing the power she had over him, the taste of him, the feel of his skin.

“I’m not gonna last long if you keep doing that, Y/N,” Dean’s words were strained and his body was trembling underneath her, but she didn’t stop, determined to make him cum, wanting that pleasure. His hips bucked - Y/N used her free hand to pin him down before running her fingers lightly over his sac.

That seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s proverbial back, as Dean shouted out his pleasure to the star-filled sky, his cum hitting the back of her throat like warm honey. She swallowed around him, taking everything he had to give, feeling an echoing pulse in her belly. When she felt him relax and his cock started to soften in her mouth, she sat back, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

“You’re… fuck…" 

Y/N didn’t think she’d get used to him cursing like that. 

"You’re a goddess,” he whispered, reaching for her and pulling her down into a heated kiss. “My goddess.” She closed her eyes, curling into him like it was the only place she ever wanted to be.


	11. Chapter 11

“What happens now?” she asked, laying with her cheek against his chest, the blankets pulled up around them. Dean had lit a fire when it grew dark, the cracks in the rock formation allowing for the smoke to escape. The flames crackled, filling the cavern with a warm glow that the crystals seemed to absorb and reflect.

He sighed at her question, running his hand along her arm. “We live with the pod. Find you a place in the community.”

Y/N nibbled her bottom lip, unsure if there was anything she could do within their society. She couldn’t cook, or sew - she’d never tried to hunt. What was there for her to contribute? “I don’t know how to do anything, Dean. They don’t exactly need admin under the sea.”

Dean chuckled, kissing her temple. “No, not admin. But the archives are pretty extensive. There are legends in there Sam hasn’t even touched.”

“That sounds kinda boring,” she admitted. 

“Exactly why I’m not doing it,” he quipped back.

For a few seconds, there was a silence between them, then Y/N shifted, sitting up and looking down at him. “I have to go home,” she said quietly and he stiffened, a frown instantly twisting his handsome features. “Not, not permanently,” she hurried to correct herself, taking his hand, “but I have to see my dad. Make sure he’s okay.”

“It’s dangerous,” he warned. “You’re only just getting used to this.”

“I know,” she agreed. “And I do get it, Dean. I belong here, with you. But -”

His eyes were a little sad as he sat up. “You belong there too,” he murmured, cupping her cheek. “I get it. I’m not happy about it but I get it.” Turning under the covers, he pulled her into his lap, enticing her into a soft kiss, his arms around her waist. “I wanted to ask you something.”

She blinked at him, shaking her head at his solemn tone. “What?”

He kissed her again. “If there was a place we could be, between both worlds, would you go with me?” 

“Where?”

“The bay,” he said quietly. “Things have always been a certain way for us. We live together, work together. But I’m hardly ever back at the caverns, my duty doesn’t require it except for checking in with Rufus and Bobby.” He rubbed his thumb over her thigh, nuzzling into her cheek. “I think the elders will agree to it. It’s not fair to make you give up everything.”

It took a second to piece it together in her head and she frowned, pulling back to look at him. “But Sam… Jess…”

He snorted in amusement. “Have been fine without me around constantly for years,” he promised. “To be honest, since Sam was old enough to fend for himself, I didn’t really have anything. Spent most of my time in the bay, on land.” His eyes shone when he looked at her, gently placing one hand on her cheek. “Guess I know now, it was just ‘cos I was looking for you.”

Y/N smiled, pressing her lips to his. “As long as you’re sure.”

Grinning, Dean pulled her down, covering her body with his and kissing her hard. “Lemme show you how sure I am.”

Y/N had expected, when she brought up the subject of visiting her father again, to be completely rebuffed. But Dean had done exactly the opposite, suggesting he drive her, making it a little road trip. It wasn’t a long drive back to Talbot and surprisingly, with the sun shining and the windows of the Impala rolled down, it was one she didn’t want to end.

Dean apparently had an affinity for the music his father had introduced him to, which mostly included classic rock from the seventies and eighties. Y/N didn’t know half the bands but she enjoyed his soft off-key singing, almost dozing off in the bright sunshine.

They drove into Talbot around lunchtime, cruising through the quiet streets. She didn’t need to provide any direction, even just one visit was enough for him to remember the way. But when they turned onto her street and saw a huge truck outside the house, Y/N instantly panicked.

“What the hell?!” 

She was out of the car before he’d pulled it to a complete stop, his legs uncooperative as he tried to follow her. A large “SOLD” sign was outside her father’s house and the boxes being loaded into the truck were quite clearly a mixture of her possessions and his.

Her dad was standing on the stoop, staring at her as she walked up the drive in the long summer dress, thunder on her face. “So you were gonna just move?” she spat. “Not tell me?”

“Y/N,” he greeted, laughing. “You know, you could start with ‘hi, Dad’.”

“You sold the house,” Y/N growled.

“I did,” her dad nodded, looking at the sign and smiling as Dean approached, “and I got a great deal.” Her jaw dropped, and he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t you come in, I’ll put some coffee on and we’ll talk about this instead of yelling, yeah? Hi, Dean.”

“Hey, Mr. Y/L/N,” Dean grinned, glancing at Y/N. “You okay there?” She shoved past them both to enter the house and Dean laughed nervously. “She’s… she’s really happy to see you, sir.”

Her father raised one eyebrow. “Shoot first, ask questions later,” he grunted, shrugging.

Y/N was already making coffee when they walked in, shooting her father a withering look. “I’ve only been gone a week,” she accused.

“Like I said, I got a good deal. This is prime Talbot real estate.” He sat down, realizing that she needed a wide berth. “Besides, old man like me can’t be rattling around in a house that should have a family in it.”

“What about me?” she asked, dropping the used spoon into the sink. “Where am I supposed to stay when I come and visit?”

He smiled, shaking his head. “You’re assuming I’m going to stay here?” She blinked at him. “Sweetheart, I just put a downpayment on an apartment in Brightrock with a beautiful view of the bay. I can work from home, and be around when you need me.”

Y/N stared at him as she sat down, stunned by his decision. She placed the tray of coffees on the table slowly, unsure how to react. “You’re moving to the bay?”

“What do I have to stay here for?” he replied, reaching over to take her hand. “A sports bar with questionable beer? Your place is with Dean, _my _place is where you need me. So I’m moving.”

She didn’t have a verbal answer - the legs of her chair scraped across the floor as she threw herself into her father’s arms, hugging him tightly. The table shook with the movement, threatening all three of their drinks. Y/N couldn’t adequately voice her happiness at knowing her father would be there but he knew it, hugging her back with tears in his eyes.

“I love you, Dad,” she whispered, kissing his cheek when she pulled back.

Emotion choked him and he cleared his throat, smiling at her. “While you’re here, you can help me getting everything out to the truck. And check your boxes, in case there’s anything you want to donate.” The subject change worked and Dean stood up.

“I’ll help,” he offered brightly.

“Finish your coffee first,” Y/N ordered, sliding back into her seat.

“How about you tell me everything you’ve been up to,” her dad suggested, picking up his drink. “I’m sure you’ve got a lot to catch me up on.”

It had only been a few days helping her dad move but Y/N felt it in her bones when they finally reached the bay again. Dean drove down past where he’d parked before, smirking over at her when she frowned. “Where are we going now?” she asked.

“Well, I gotta take the car back to the garage,” he drawled. “But there’s a little place I wanted to show you.”

Her frown deepened. “What are you up to?” Dean only smirked back, pulling the car off of the main road and toward the far east side of the bay. The trees thickened as they approached, becoming tall enough to block out the late afternoon sunshine; at the same time, the road grew narrower until it was only wide enough for a single vehicle, grass blossoming into between the tracks worn through the ground by tires.

When they reached an open gate, Dean kept going and Y/N leaned forward as the trees opened up into a clearing, containing a small cottage. It wasn’t an unusual sight in the bay - the whole area was surrounded by little country getaways, although this one seemed a little less well kept than any of the others.

“It’s not much,” Dean muttered, pulling the car to a stop. “But I’m kinda hoping it can be ours.”

Y/N didn’t speak, climbing out of the car and standing with the door open, her hands clenched around the frame. From where they were parked, she could see the whole layout of the dilapidated building, the yard stretching down to a sharp drop, the ocean sparkling beyond it.

“H - how?” she asked, glancing over at Dean when he climbed out of the car to join her.

“Abandoned,” he explained. “The former owner died. No one ever claimed it.” He shut the door, walking around to take her hand. “Until Sam did, yesterday. This place…” Sighing, he looked at it. “This is where my dad raised us.”

She shook her head a little, confused. “I thought - but you grew up in the ocean.”

“For the most part,” he smiled, squeezing her fingers, “but our dad was a little… off. After mom died. He bought this place, used it to hide away.” When he paused, Y/N didn’t miss the flash of pain on his face. “To drink,” he clarified. “Losing mom broke him.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Don’t be,” Dean replied quickly. “Life goes the way it goes. It’s what you make of it.”

“Very deep.”

“I have my moments,” he chuckled. Pulling her away from the car, he pushed it shut, leading her past the house and toward the oceanview.

“How do you pay for all this?”

“Remember when I mentioned treasure?” he reminded her and she made a little ‘o’ face as she put two and two together. “This,” Dean continued, gesturing to the fenceless edge of the cliff, “is where I learned to dive.” Y/N followed closely, stopping at the edge with him and leaning over. It was a sheer drop of about twenty feet, leading directly to the depths far away from the bay where the coastal shelf had dropped off.

“Woah,” she gasped. “That’s a little scary.”

Dean laughed under his breath. “You’ll get used to it.”

Staring down for another few minutes, Y/N slowly smiled, looking back up at him, holding his hand tightly. “You know what?” she whispered, stepping closer so there was no space left between them. “I think I will.”

**FIN (no pun intended)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, leaving kudos and commenting! I'm really glad to see everyone enjoyed this rewrite. There'll be more mermaid adventures at some point but in the meantime, I've got a few oneshots to post over the rest of the month and a new series starting in April! Thanks again!
> 
> xx
> 
> Rhi


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